Barcelona target Nico Williams confessed to Florentino Perez that his dream would be to play for Real Madrid: Reports

Barcelona target Nico Williams has reportedly told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that he dreams of playing for the club. Williams has been heavily linked to a transfer to Barca this summer.

Barcelona reportedly tried to sign Nico Williams last season, but the Spaniard preferred to stay at Athletic Club. However, this season he changed his mind and informed the sporting director, Deco, about his interest in joining them. Prior reports further suggested he's also open to reducing his salary for the club despite other lucrative offers from Arsenal and Bayern Munich. Barcelona are reportedly preparing to pay Williams' reported €62 million release clause in the first week of July.

Despite Williams' reported interest in joining Barcelona, the latest reports from Spanish outlet Defensa Central (h/t Team Talk) claim the Spaniard wanted to join Real Madrid previously. Williams reportedly told Los Blancos president Florentino Perez that his dream would be to join them if he ever left Athletic Club.

The report also indicates that La Blaugrana president Joan Laporta is aware that Nico Williams is a Madridista. However, he is willing to put up with it to avoid further trouble. The Catalans are reportedly hell bent on securing his services this summer after missing out on him last season.

---

"We have a sense of freedom"- Barcelona president Joan Laporta highlights how their model is different from that of Real Madrid

Joan Laporta - Source: Getty

In a recent interview (h/t GOAL), Barcelona president Joan Laporta discussed how their approach to signing players is different from that of Real Madrid. He believed the two clubs have a different model and said:

"We're different clubs. Madrid have a sense of power, while we have a sense of freedom. Everyone looks out for their own interests. It's a good rivalry which both clubs feed off, from a position of respect, but we have different models."

He added:

"Our [model] is based on developing youngsters through La Masia and creating talent; Madrid are more inclined to signing players. They don't have many players in their squad who have come through the academy. We're really proud of who we are. We are more than a club."

In the current transfer window, Barca have signed Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Their next target is reportedly Nico Williams, who already has a personal agreement with the club, per Fabrizio Romano. However, it remains to be seen if the Catalans can pull off the signing by paying his release clause.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have focused on strengthening their defense and are busy with the FIFA Club World Cup. Los Blancos' major signings this summer include Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.

Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar