It only took one Instagram story to stir things up in FC Barcelona’s transfer market. Lamine Yamal posted a photo of himself hugging Nico Williams, celebrating a goal with the Spanish national team. The image had no caption, but its timing was telling—it came just hours after Sport reported a long meeting between Deco, Barça’s sporting director, and Félix Tainta, the Athletic Club player’s agent.

A subtle hint from Yamal?

Many saw the post as a subtle hint from Yamal, one of Barça’s brightest young talents, urging his national teammate to join him at club level. The two have great chemistry, and this isn’t the first time the Catalan winger has expressed his wish to team up with Nico at Barça. The post only adds fuel to the fire—Barça’s interest seems far from over.

Nico Williams’ move, which was close to happening last summer, is back in play. Athletic Club is pushing for a contract renewal with improved wages, but the renewed interest from Barça, along with Bayern Munich and Arsenal, complicates things. Both clubs are reportedly willing to trigger his €62 million (around $67 million) release clause, though the player himself prefers to stay in LaLiga.

Barça’s hurdles and hopes

Although Luis Díaz (valued at over €80 million) is still the top target for Barça’s sporting department, his price tag makes Nico Williams a more realistic option. Marcus Rashford from Manchester United is also on the radar, with a market value of around €50 million, but that deal appears less advanced.

The big hurdle for Barcelona is still player registration, the same issue that derailed the deal in the past. But with Deco’s persistence, support from young stars like Yamal, and the player’s preference to stay in Spain, everything could line up for the move to finally happen.

With the social media post and recent front-office moves, Barcelona’s interest in Nico Williams is definitely heating up again. It may have been just a photo, but in transfer talk terms, Yamal might have sent a pretty clear message.