Nico Williams: Zenit’s Surprise Contribution for Barcelona To Sign Athletic Winger

• Zenit Saint Petersburg has clarified their surprise financial support for Barcelona's Nico Williams transfer
• The Athletic Bilbao winger is a hot commodity in the current transfer market ahead of the 2025/26 La Liga season
• Hansi Flick reportedly wants to add the talented player to his side in his bid to defend the La Liga and Copa del Rey Barca won last season

Russian football powerhouse Zenit Saint Petersburg have made headlines by financially contributing to FC Barcelona’s pursuit of Spanish winger Nico Williams.

The news left football fans baffled, with many asking why would a club with no obvious ties to the player, or his destination, help fund such a deal?

But as the full story unfolded, Zenit has now explained the reasons behind their monetary assistance to the La Liga champions.

Will Nico Williams join FC Barcelona?

The Athletic Bilbao’s rising star has long been on the radar of top European clubs, including Barcelona as reported by Football Espana.

Known for his electric pace, flair on the ball, and relentless dribbling ability, the winger has rapidly become one of La Liga’s brightest talents.

With Barcelona undergoing a squad evolution and searching for dynamism in wide areas, Williams, who is friend to Lamine Yamal, fits the bill perfectly.

Although Liverpool’s Luis Diaz was initially Barcelona’s top summer target, financial realities forced the club to reconsider.

The Merseyside club reportedly demanded £80 million, a price tag Barcelona couldn’t accommodate under La Liga’s strict “1:1” financial rule, which mandates that clubs cannot spend more than they earn in revenue.

That shifted the focus entirely onto the brother of Inaki Williams, whose release clause and wage expectations were more manageable.

With personal terms reportedly agreed upon, only the final pieces of the financial puzzle remained for Barcelona to seal the deal.

Why Zenit sent money to Barcelona for Nico Williams?

A TikTok video from Zenit’s official account showed a monetary transaction titled “For Nico Williams from Zenit,” seemingly sent to Barcelona.

The light-hearted tone, paired with a video clip and emojis, made it seem like a joke, but it was very real, as featured by GIVEMESPORT.

Even more curiously, Zenit's English-language X (formerly Twitter) account later tweeted:

“You gave us Malcom, so happy to help!” A few laughing emojis accompanied the post, but the message was sincere.

The Malcom connection

To fully understand Zenit’s gesture, one must look back to 2019 when Barcelona sold Brazilian winger Malcom to the Russian side for €40 million.

Though his time at Camp Nou was brief and underwhelming, Malcom’s stint in Russia proved transformative. He went on to become a fan favorite and a standout performer.

During four seasons with Zenit, Malcom scored 42 goals in 109 appearances, helping the club to four Russian Premier League titles, a Russian Cup, and four Russian Super Cups.

His peak came in the 2022–23 season when he emerged as the league’s top scorer with 23 goals.

In 2023, Zenit sold Malcom to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal in a deal potentially worth €60 million, including bonuses.

The profit they made and the success they enjoyed during Malcom’s tenure have clearly left a lasting impression on the club.

Their small donation to Barcelona for Nico Williams is symbolic, a humorous and heartfelt nod to a deal that worked out exceptionally well for them.

Will Nico Williams improve Barcelona?

If the deal goes through, Nico Williams will surely add quality to the La Liga champions and would become a cornerstone of Barcelona’s future.

He is expected to occupy the left flank, with Raphinha shifting centrally behind veteran striker Robert Lewandowski.

On the opposite wing will be his international teammate and pal, the 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, who continues to defy his age and is even being touted as a Ballon d’Or contender.

Barcelona reported interest in Thomas Partey

YEN.com.gh earlier reported on FC Barcelona's alleged interest in Ghana international midfielder Thomas Partey.

The Ghanaian's contract runs out at the end of June 2025 while contract extension talks are currently ongoing between the ex-Atletico Madrid man and the Gunners.

Source: YEN.com.gh