Bayern Munich Look to Leapfrog Barcelona for Nico Williams

The transfer saga around Nico Williams is heating up, and just when it looked like Barcelona were leading the race, Bayern Munich are now pushing hard to hijack the deal. With the Catalans struggling to meet La Liga’s financial regulations, the door has been left wide open, and the German giants seem more than ready to walk through it.

For weeks, it appeared as though Williams was set for a move to the Camp Nou. Barcelona had reportedly agreed personal terms on a six-year deal and were preparing to trigger his release clause, believed to be in the region of €58 to €62 million. However, a familiar problem has emerged once again: registration issues. Despite their willingness to bring in new faces, Barcelona still haven’t sorted out their finances, and that’s proving to cause them troubles.

Barcelona’s Recurring Registration Woes

La Liga president Javier Tebas made the situation crystal clear just days ago: “Today, Barça cannot register Nico Williams.” It’s not the first time we’ve heard something like this. Barcelona needs to return to the 1:1 financial ratio, which means they must generate as much in savings or income as they plan to spend. So far, that hasn’t happened, and it’s holding everything up.

Barça were hoping to raise funds by offloading a few players or using additional financial levers, but time is not on their side. Athletic Club resumes training on July 9, and Barcelona return on the 13th. If there’s no progress by then, things could move quickly, and not in their favour. Nico Williams wants a solution, and Bayern are ready to offer exactly that.

Bayern Turn Up The Heat

Sensing an opportunity, Bayern Munich has stepped up its interest. According to Sky Germany, the Bavarians have made a fresh push to bring Williams to the Bundesliga, offering him a significant pay rise. The new proposal would see the Spanish international earn around €10 million net per year, potentially rising to €12 million with bonuses, which is well above what Barcelona is currently able to promise.

Bayern’s interest isn’t just speculative either. Sporting director Max Eberl is heavily involved in the process and has reportedly been in touch with Williams’ camp to try toaccelerate negotiations. The club sees Williams as a long-term solution on the left wing, especially with Leroy Sané already agreed to be a Galatasaray player, Gnabry’s future uncertain, and Kingsley Coman expected to leave as well.

There’s also a sense of urgency. Bayern knows that competition for attacking talent is fierce. They’ve explored other options too, Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, Rafael Leão, and Jamie Gittens, who’s almost signed for Chelsea, have all been on their radar. But none of them fit the profile quite as perfectly as Williams does: young, quick, technical, and already performing at a high level for club and country.

Time Running Out For Barça

While Williams reportedly prefers a move to Barcelona, that preference only matters if the deal can be completed. His release clause remains non-negotiable, and Athletic Club won’t entertain any offers below it. That means whichever club signs him will need to pay up front and be in a position to register him immediately. Bayern can do both.

With each passing day, Bayern’s position grows stronger. They’re offering Williams a starring role in a squad looking to rebuild and reclaim domestic and European dominance. Financially, they’re stable. Structurally, they’re solid. Also, the timing couldn’t be better when it comes to opportunity.

On the other hand, Barcelona remains caught in uncertainty. They’ve made promises to Williams and his representatives, but as things stand, they simply cannot deliver. Unless a major sale or a miracle happens in the next few weeks, their pursuit could end, just like the previous year, when they had to abandon it due to financial fair play constraints.

Final Thoughts

As both Athletic Club and Barcelona return to training in early July, we’re fast approaching crunch time. Williams is 22, at the peak of his breakout momentum, and won’t want to risk stagnation. His camp has made it clear that delays won’t be tolerated. That gives Bayern a narrow but critical window to get this over the line.

Whether they manage to pull it off or not will depend on how aggressively they push in the next two weeks. However, if you ask around in Munich, there’s growing confidence that Nico Williams could be playing in red next season, not blue and garnet.