BARCELONA ‘ALREADY WORKING’ ON DEAL FOR ATHLETIC CLUB STAR

The 21-year-old is in the midst of what has proven a stellar season with Athletic Club, on his way to seven goals and a hefty 16 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions.

On the lookout for reinforcements on the left flank, the aforementioned Barcelona, in turn, have long earmarked Williams as a leading target.

And, if the latest word stemming from the media on Friday is anything to go by, then the Blaugrana are wasting little time in kicking into gear efforts towards securing his signing.

As per the aforementioned Sport, ‘the operation is already being worked on’ by Deco and his team.

Though the priority at the Camp Nou, for the time being, remains securing a top-class pivot to man the base of Barca’s midfield, next on the list is a fresh threat on the left wing.

In the case of sufficient funds being raised over the course of the summer, the consensus has been reached behind the scenes at Barcelona that Williams is the ideal addition.

This comes for a whole host of reasons, not least the youngster’s characteristics – pace, final ball, and ability in one-on-one situations.

Xavi and co. also consider his €50 million release clause to be a reasonable one in the current market, eager to see Williams and Lamine Yamal light up the flanks in Catalunya’s capital next season.