From Barça to Real Madrid: Florentino about to sign Lamine Yamal's best friend

Real Madrid's roadmap for the next season is shocking fans and media alike. Besides the signings suggested by Xabi Alonso to attend the Club World Cup with a slightly more complete squad, the Merengue executives seem to have their own plans.

One of the footballers who would directly enter those desired signings by the white leadership is Lamine Yamal's best friend: Athletic Club de Bilbao's forward, Nico Williams. The signing of the '10' athleticzale has become one of the favorite 'soap operas' of Spanish soccer in the last two seasons.

It was FC Barcelona who took the spotlight last summer. The entity presided over by Joan Laporta was close to paying the release clause, set at 60 million euros, to finally unite the '19' blaugrana with his great Basque friend. Finally  the operation couldn't be carried out due to the rampant economic problems faced by the Catalan team.

FC Barcelona, after that fiasco during the last summer market, seems to have distanced itself from the option of signing Nico Williams... paving the way for Real Madrid who wouldn't hesitate to attempt that operation again. The white executives considered in the summer of 2023 acquiring his services as a free agent, since his contract with Athletic Club was ending.

It's a very serious option

But the board decided to 'wait' for Kylian Mbappé one more season and signed Joselu instead. Be that as it may, now the options of acquiring Nico Williams's card increase again in the Valdebebas offices according to the information published by MARCA. This sports newspaper indicates that the Merengue bosses wish to have the '10' athleticzale in the first team for the upcoming seasons.

Thus, the overbooking in Real Madrid's forward roster would force the departure of one of the current Madridist strikers. In that case, Rodrygo Goes would be the chosen one to leave Santiago Bernabéu locker room according to the aforementioned media. That idea doesn't seem to have settled yet, although it's an alternative that the white sports management would be meticulously considering.

It's yet to be seen how the Athletic Club de Bilbao footballer fits into Xabi Alonso's 'new' Real Madrid. Not only because of the change of coach, but also because of the tactical changes that the Tolosa coach could introduce to the ideal starting eleven to accommodate the players according to his idea. Nico Williams's role is very clear, so Xabi Alonso would have to adapt his formation again if that operation becomes a reality.

Nico Williams's signing by Real Madrid would be a coup to one of LaLiga's great stars: Lamine Yamal. The '19' blaugrana has been left without the possibility of sharing a team with one of his best friends in the European football elite... but now he could have him as his main domestic rival if the bosses led by Florentino Pérez carry out those intentions advanced by MARCA.