"Barca are close to being able to sign Nico Williams"

The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, commented on Thursday that "Barca are close to being able to sign Nico Williams", a player from Athletic Club.
"We have to remember that the 1:1 rule has to be fulfilled. Today they don't have him, but that's when they are closest to having him. If they do, they can sign Nico Williams or another player with those characteristics," Tebas told 'Sport'.
The leader of La Liga recalled "the effort" made by Barcelona, who have reduced "their wage bill by more than 200 million" and with the application of the levers "they can perfectly incorporate a player like Nico Williams".
"I think he has a release clause of 85 million. When you buy for 85 million, the amortisation is divided by the years of the contract; if you sign him for five, it would be less than 20 million per year, plus whatever you pay the player. Barca are going to be able to be at those amounts, which are perfectly manageable if they are on the 1:1 rule. It's a club that is close to 1 billion in turnover, it can be in that range," he insisted.
Asked to what extent it is important for La Liga that Barca can sign, Tebas recalled that the priority is always "the economic sustainability of the clubs". "We have lived through many years in which it seemed that the priority was to have many great players, which generated economic problems (...) We have to have a more global vision of everything that is happening in Spanish football," he added.
Tebas believes that the economic gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona is getting smaller: "Barcelona is adapting its income structure and is therefore getting closer. We'll see if they can do it. It would be good for Barcelona and La Liga".
According to the latest reports, Barca have already agreed a preliminary deal for Nico Williams, although Athletic president Jon Uriarte recently slammed the media for constantly asking him questions about the rumours and said he is confident of retaining him.