Barcelona wants to improve their team during the summer transfer window, and the idea of getting Nico Williams has already made fans more excited.
In an honest interview today, Joan Laporta confirmed that Barcelona wants to sign Nico Williams and gave a clear hint that their improved finances allow them to do so.
Nico Williams isn’t just wanted by Barcelona because he has a cheap €58 million release option. Several big clubs in Europe are also interested in him.
But the 21-year-old speedster is very excited about wearing the Blaugrana crest, and the fact that he is close with Barcelona players on the Spanish national team only makes him want to make the move even more.
The club thinks that getting this talented player will set them up for a successful season.
If Barcelona signs Williams this summer, here are three ways their attack could look.
1. Nico, Lewandowski, and Yamal
Nico Williams isn’t just wanted by Barcelona because he has a cheap €58 million release option. Several big clubs in Europe are also interested in him.
But the 21-year-old speedster is very excited about wearing the Blaugrana crest, and the fact that he is close with Barcelona players on the Spanish national team only makes him want to make the move even more.
The club thinks that getting this talented player will set them up for a successful season.
If Barcelona signs Williams this summer, here are three ways their attack could look.
1. Nico, Lewandowski, and Yamal
Chemistry like no other. Images from Getty Images; photo by ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP)
A strikeforce made up of Nico Williams, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal would help Barcelona reach their goal of having an attack that is both creative and scores goals.
The Spanish national team has already had a lot of success with Yamal and Williams playing together on the wings because their skills complement each other so well.
The two have taken Europe by storm and have made it possible for Spain to play France in the Euro semi-finals and win the whole thing.
In the right half-space, the 16-year-old adds imagination and becomes more active, while Williams keeps his width and dribbles easily past defenders, setting him apart.
Adding Lewandowski makes things even harder for the other team’s defenders. Yamal, on the right, is a great creator, and Williams, on the left, is a dangerous winger who can draw attention, make sharp runs, and finish chances with ease.
Lewandowski is likely to play a big role in the final third now that Hansi Flick is in charge. The fact that he is with two magnetic wingers will help him get more room.
With such a scary trident, the midfielders can be set free and make fast runs into the box, which makes the danger even greater.
2. Nico, Lewandowski, and Rapinha
Barcelona’s biggest worry was that they didn’t have enough depth, but Nico Williams could fix that.
With the winger from Athletic Club on the team, Barcelona can try out different lineups depending on the other team and give youth Lamine Yamal a break.
Because Barcelona didn’t have many natural left wingers last season, Raphinha often had to play on the left side even though he was a natural right winger.
Because of this, Yamal had to start many games on the right side, even in games that weren’t very important and where it would have been better for him to rest.
Nico, on the other hand, solves that problem by giving the team a versatile and dynamic choice on the left wing. This lets Raphinha go back to his preferred right side and gives Yamal much-needed rest to keep up his high level of play throughout the season.
In addition to protecting Yamal, Raphinha can add to Williams’s creativity with his trademark inswinging crosses and moving inward, which is where he is most useful.
Barcelona did not have a classic left winger last season, so Raphinha often had to play alone as a winger on the right, which goes against his natural tendency to move in the middle.
Because of this, it is safe to say that Barcelona has killed two birds with one stone by signing Williams.
3. Ferran, Lewandowski, and Nico
Nico Williams mostly plays on the left wing, but he is good at playing on both sides and has played many games on the right for Athletic Club.
He does this mostly because he can play on both feet and has a knack for taking players by surprise no matter what flank he is on.
Williams’s flexibility also makes it possible for Ferran Torres to start on the left flank. With the 21-year-old giving the team width and Ferran playing as an inside forward, this formation not only makes things easier for Lewandowski, but it also gives them another chance to score.
Xavi’s successful use of the trident with Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Ousmane Dembele in his first season shows how well these types of jobs work together.
Aubameyang was great at scoring goals, Dembele stayed close to the sidelines, and Ferran used room well by moving smartly when he wasn’t playing the ball.
Similar to this, the trio of Ferran, Lewandowski, and Nico looks like they can repeat this success, with Xavi giving them new direction.
