Despite the extension signed last December until 2027, Nico Williams officially declared himself willing to leave the Athletic Club to join FC Barcelona. His agent Félix Tainta informed Bilbao of the player's intention to blow up his clause while Barça has already locked the personal conditions of a current contract until 2031 (€ 12 M/year) as we revealed to you. The Blaugrana must still release from the payroll to satisfy financial fair play, but Deco is confident and wants to finalize the operation before the start of the pre-season, at the latest on July 13. In the offices of San Mamés, it is difficult to digest the method, accusing Barcelona of maneuvering behind the scenes and swearing that no euro will be negotiated downwards. This tense climate, however, does not prevent the Catalans from staying clearly in pole, in front of several competitors including Bayern Munich, also on the lookout but devoid of an agreement with the player.
This Catalan advance seriously complicates the plans of Bayern Munich, who has been following Williams for a year as a long -term solution for his left wing. In the absence of concrete discussions with Bilbao – the track is deemed internally “cold” – the Bavarian board is now hesitant to align the € 60 million required, especially since the budgetary priority remains to lock several expensive extensions which are decking the cash. Added to the player's clearly displayed preference for Barcelona, which reduces the chances of convincing Spanish. Result: Max Eberl and Christoph Freund re -evaluate the market and turn to a more mature and immediately operational plan B: Luis Díaz, whose door is no longer fully closed and which would cost a similar amount but without rigid clause or direct competition from Barça. In other words, the decisive breakthrough of the Catalans on Williams pushes Bayern to redraw his offensive roadmap this summer.
Bayern wants to draw in Liverpool
If the track leading to Nico Williams fails for Bayern Munich, Luis Díaz from Liverpool FC emerges as a solid alternative. Díaz, 28 years old, benefits from experience confirmed at the highest level, especially in Liverpool, where his last season was tried as one of his most successful with 13 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League. In the past, the Colombian international has already expressed his interest in joining Barcelona, also demonstrating an opening to other options. But now Barça is fully focused on the arrival of Nico Williams, which forces, by domino effect, Bayern to review his plans. If the Bavarians had allowed themselves to be tempted by Rafael Leao, it is the track leading to Luis Diaz which reopened according to the daily Sport. For Bayern, who seeks to fill the void left by the departure of players like Serge Gnabry or others to come such as Leroy Sané, Díaz represents an immediately operational profile, capable of bringing maturity, leadership and offensive efficiency.
Its estimated price between 70 and 85 million euros seems reasonable compared to the amounts required for other targets, and the operation could be part of a balanced strategy between performance and profitability. On the sporting level, the interest for Luis Díaz in Bayern relies on his versatility and his ability to adapt to different offensive positions, which he plays in depth or as an attacker, a quality appreciated by the technicians. The Munich club, aware of its financial constraints, would target a profile as its own: an experienced framework, ready to contribute immediately without requiring an adaptation period. In parallel, the Bavarian transfer window clearly directs its strategy towards a “new generation” of players with a balance between hope and immediate performance. Thus, if the Williams file – at the release clause of around € 68 million – were to complicate, the track towards Díaz would not only become plausible, but highly credible on the sporting, strategic and financial level.
