Barcelona put Liverpool star and Arsenal target on three-man shortlist of Nico Williams alternatives

Barcelona have put a Liverpool star and an Arsenal transfer target on their three-man shortlist of Nico Williams alternatives.

Nico Williams looked certain to join Barcelona after enjoying a superb Euro 2024 campaign with Spain earlier this summer, but it looks as though he is staying put.

Though the 22-year-old winger is reportedly open to making the switch to Camp Nou having previously decided to stay at Athletic Club, Barcelona's financial situation has seriously complicated the situation.

Last week Barcelona completed the £51 million signing of Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig, but at present they don't have enough salary cap space to register him to play in La Liga.

Williams now looks set to stay in Bilbao, and on Monday revealed that he has changed squad number from 11 to 10.

Despite the need to offload players in order to register others, Barcelona still want to add a new winger to Hansi Flick's squad.

According to Spanish journalist Fernando Polo, the Catalan giants are assessing alternative options, with three candidates standing out.

One of them is Liverpool wide man Luis Diaz, who joined the club from Porto in January 2022 for an initial fee of £37m.

Though Diaz's form at Anfield has been patchy over the last two seasons, he looks set to play a key role for Arne Slot's side this season.

Nico Williams looks set to stay at Athletic Club (Image: Getty)

Barca are also looking at Kingsley Coman, who looks to have no future at Bayern Munich under new coach Vincent Kompany.

The French winger - who is one of the most decorated players in history - still has three years remaining on his contract, although Bayern could be open to a loan deal.

Arsenal have been linked with the 28-year-old in recent days, with Mikel Arteta wanting to bolster his squad before launching another Premier League title challenge.

Barcelona are also considering a move for AC Milan star Rafael Leao, although he signed a new contract last summer valid until 2028.