European Powerhouses Rally Behind Barcelona's Bold Bid for Nico Williams

Barcelona have been given an unexpected helping hand in their pursuit of Athletic Club's winger Nico Williams following a charitable gesture from Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg via TikTok.

Personal terms have already been agreed upon between Barcelona and Williams, with the player reportedly pushing Athletic to consider more flexible payment arrangements for his release clause, which totals €62 million ($71.4 million) including additional fees.

While Barcelona is believed to have the financial capacity to activate the clause, their recent monetary difficulties mean they would prefer to structure the payment across multiple years rather than as a lump sum.

However, Zenit have publicly stepped forward to assist Barcelona's pursuit of Williams by making a TikTok donation accompanied by the note "For Nico Williams from Zenit".

The contribution made its way onto X, previously known as Twitter, where Zenit's official account provided context for their gesture.

"You gave us Malcom, so happy to help!" the Russian club posted.

Malcom had a brief stint at Barcelona lasting only one season before his transfer to Zenit in 2019 for a fee reaching €45 million ($51.8 million). The Brazilian winger needed time to adapt in Russia but eventually delivered an exceptional performance with 23 goals and nine assists across 27 matches during the 2022–23 season.

His outstanding displays earned him a €60 million ($69.1 million) transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal the subsequent summer, where Malcom contributed significantly to their league championship victory last season.

Malcom also featured for over an hour in Al Hilal's notable 1–1 stalemate against Real Madrid during their Club World Cup opening match.