Javier Tebas explains how Barcelona can afford to sign Nico Williams from Athletic

La Liga president Javier Tebas thinks that Barcelona will be able to afford to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Club this summer.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has already said his club have the funds available to land the Athletic star, and Tebas has now explained why he also thinks it can be done.

“If Barça return to a 1:1 spending limit, meaning they aren’t in excess of their cap, they will be able to do so,” he told Sport.

“You have to think that with Barcelona’s efforts to reduce their wage bill by more than €200m and other measures that have already taken place within the club that have nothing to do with their financial levers, it is perfectly possible to bring in a player like Nico Williams.

“I think he has a clause of €58m. When you sign a player for €58m, the amortisation is divided by the years of the contract; if you sign him for three years, it would be less than €20m per year, plus whatever you pay the player.

“Barça are going to be able to be around those amounts, which are perfectly acceptable if they are back within the 1:1 rule. They are a club that is close to €1 billion in turnover, they can be in that range for that type of signing.

“We have to remember that the 1:1 scenario has to be fulfilled first, though. They are not there yet, but it’s the closest they have been. If they get there, they can sign Nico Williams or another player with those characteristics.”

Barcelona are said to be willing to offer Nico a five-year contract structured similarly to the one offered to Robert Lewandowski when he signed from Bayern Munich.

Source barcablaugranes.com