Nico Williams is expected to move to Barcelona this summer from Athletic Club and one of his former coaches has been telling the Catalans what to expect.
Patxi Salinas says that the Spain star has plenty of room for improvement and thinks he could score a lot of goals at the Camp Nou.
> “No, Nico Williams has a lot of room for improvement, a lot. He’s from that generation that laughs while playing, that doesn’t feel pressure, that has fun with a ball,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
>
> “He has the ability to create plenty of scoring chances, and if anything, his shortcoming this season has been his goal tally. This season, he’s only scored five for Athletic. I see him as a player with the potential to score 15 goals in a pinch.
[Williams already has a good relationship with Lamine Yamal](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2025/6/13/24448758/nico-williams-crazy-about-joining-lamine-yamal-at-barcelona-and-willing-to-reduce-wage-demands), and Salinas says there are a lot of similarities between the two players.
> “Nico is a ‘Lamine type’. He’s very similar to Lamine. If you’re lucky enough to have him come to Barça and we’re unlucky enough to have him leave Athletic, you’ll be saying a few days later, “Wow! This guy looks so similar to Lamine.” If you have Lamine and Nico, you have two daggers on the wings.
>
> “Being on a team that has the ball 70% of the time is much better for him. It’s what suits him. If he goes to Barça, Lewandowski will appreciate it. Nico is very good in the open field due to his power and speed, but he also shines in short spaces due to his skill.
>
> “You have to keep in mind that, apart from Barça and Madrid, the other teams go to San Mamés to lock down. So he already knows what it’s like to play against tight defenses. Nico is downright good against tight defensive systems and is lethal in the open field.”
[Barcelona are expected to pay Nico’s release clause](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2025/6/21/24453242/date-set-for-when-barcelona-plan-to-activate-nico-williams-release-clause-at-athletic) at the start of July and hope to have him available in time for the start of pre-season.