Luis Figo has encouraged Real Madrid to work on a ‘bargain’ transfer deal for Nico Williams this summer, describing the Athletic Bilbao winger as a ‘gem’.
Williams is widely regarded to be among the most exciting young talents on the planet, with elite clubs across European football credited with an interest in the 22-year-old forward.
Arsenal are on the hunt for attacking reinforcements and are believed to have identified Williams as one of their primary targets out wide, along with Chelsea’s Noni Madueke and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.
However, Barcelona have asserted themselves as the frontrunners to capture Williams and the Spain international has reportedly agreed personal terms over a proposed move to the Camp Nou ahead of the 2025/26 season.
First, though, Barca must offload players they deem to be surplus to requirements in order to raise the necessary funds to trigger Williams’ €58million (£49.5m) release clause at Athletic.
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With the La Liga champions in a potentially vulnerable position, Figo believes Madrid should look to exploit the situation and beat their bitter rivals to the Euro 2024 winner.
Asked who he would ideally like to see follow Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold to the Bernabeu, Figo told AS: ‘It depends on the budget I have for signing players.’
When told he has an unlimited budget to spend, Figo responded: ‘There are a lot of players I like.
‘I’d definitely sign Nico Williams. He’s a gem.
‘In the end, the price, considering what clubs are paying today, seems reasonable to me because of his quality and also because of his youth.’
While Figo does not see any of his own game in Williams, he believes a £49.5m deal for the Spaniard would represent a ‘bargain’ in today’s market.
‘No, we’re different players. He’s a player I really like because of his position,’ the Portuguese icon added.
‘I preferred the wingers when I was playing. But I wasn’t as fast as him. I wish I had been.
‘I’m speaking from a market perspective, because for value and price, I think he’s a bargain.’
According to Figo, it is too early to judge Alonso on Madrid’s results at the Club World Cup and fans must be patient for the Spaniard to ‘adapt’ to life in a new environment.
‘I think it’s more about adapting to Real Madrid as a coach, because he has had little time,’ the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner explained.
‘It’s the end of the season. It will be difficult to assess the results and the workload in such a short time.
‘It’s more about adapting as a coach.’
Asked for his thoughts about the Club World Cup more generally, Figo replied: ‘It’s a new competition so we have to wait and see how it develops.
‘It’s still a title and everyone wants to establish themselves and gain prestige.
‘I don’t think it’ll save the season either. The season itself is the Champions League and La Liga. That’s the most important thing.
‘If you win, it’s logical to be happy about the work you’ve done. But it’s a new title and we’ll have to see how important the competition is when it’s over and when we play it more often.’
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