Athletic Club confirmed that he met Laliga to question Barcelona’s ability to sign players in the rules of the League financial show in the middle of the Catalan part of Nico Williams.
The director of Barça Sporting Deco said last weekend that the Spanish winger Williams, who had a liberation clause of 58 million euros, showed a “strong desire” to join the Champions of Laliga this summer.
Meanwhile, Barça President Joan Laporta said on Wednesday that he was convinced that the club could sign and record two additions – goalkeeper Joan García, who joined Espanyol for 25 million euros last week, and Williams – while the club continues to fight Laliga’s financial rules.
“Athletics would like to thank Laliga for its cooperation and clarity at a meeting between the two organizations, in which Javier Tebas and Jon Uriarte, respective presidents of each entity, were present,” the Basque club said on Thursday.
“The meeting in Madrid took place in response to a request for a sport concerned by respecting the rules of the financial show.
“Among the problems discussed, there was Barcelona’s ability to sign the players. Athletic has a legitimate interest in accessing the relevant information on this subject since the director of football at Barcelona, Déco, publicly recognized that he would try to sign a player from our first team – a player who is under contract until June 30, 2027.
“The search for clarification on these questions helps to guarantee that the rules of the competition are followed properly.
“Deco’s comments follow the public statements made by the president of Barcelona, Laporta, who admitted that her club” strives to comply with [LaLiga’s] The rules ”and that, therefore, it does not currently meet the requirements of these rules for the recording of players.
“We are grateful to the cooperation and clarity of Laliga to provide a considered answer, but at the same time, insist that athletics will vigorously defend its interests in accordance with the regulation of the financial show approved by each of the clubs that make up Laliga.”
Athletic did not provide additional information on Laliga’s response.
Laporta said he had been disconcerted by Athletic’s complaints.
“I don’t understand Athletic’s reaction,” he told journalists. “With all the respect I owe you, everyone should worry about their own business.
“I don’t understand why they would go to Laliga to talk about Barça, which has nothing to do with them, but each to their own.
“We have taken all the necessary measures to be able to sign normally. We can sign and record the two players we want to sign.”
The quarrel comes after several Spanish teams complained last January when Barça obtained permission from the Spanish sports ministry to record Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor despite the league saying that they did not have the fair play to do so.
While Laporta continues to insist that Barça is in better position this summer to record players, Tebas says that they always spend above their limit and must collect funds or make discounts before signing.
Williams, on the other hand, communicated his desire to leave Athletic this summer, confirmed a source in ESPN.
The agent of the Spanish international, Felix Tainta, said as much at the Bilbao section earlier this week, although he did not say where his client wanted to move.
Barça targeted Williams for the first time last summer, but the agreement failed because they could not offer insurance on its registration, Olmo finally signed instead.
Williams, 22, who plays alongside his brother Iñaki in San Mamés, made 167 appearances for Athletic since his entry into the first team in 2021.
