After publicly distancing themselves from the Spanish forward earlier this summer, Barcelona performed a swift U-turn. The Catalan giants appear to have agreed personal terms with Williams—reportedly persuading him to accept a salary offer which other clubs comfortably exceeded—but negotiations with Athletic have stalled.

Barca do not plan to pay the release clause until after June 30, ensuring the deal is registered in the next financial year in Spain.

Bayern Munich are looking to pounce on the opportunity to lure Nico Williams to Bundesliga, amid lack of registration guarantees from Barcelona.