Barcelona continue to operate without total certainty on what they will have to spend this summer, but as their planning process for the summer gets underway in earnest, there is little doubt around

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the club have pulled out of the race to sign Arsenal and Chelsea’s ‘dream’ transfer target. Barca were expected to be one of the leading contenders to sign Spanish winger Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao this summer.

The reports also suggest that Los Blancos are ready to trigger his €58m release clause, which was added to his contract by Athletic Bilbao when he signed the new contract last summer.