Article by Aurelian Botezatu – published on Friday, July 25, 2025, 12:32 / Updated on Friday, July 25, 2025 12:33
Nico Williams was very close to a transfer to Barcelona This summer. But at the last moment he sucked and signed the extension of the contract with Athletic Bilbao until 2035.
It was practically the second time that Nico Williams refuses Barcelona. The first time had happened last summer, even after Spain triumphed at Euro 2024. You were upset that the 22-year-old did not respect his word, the Catalans declared him “Non-Grace” and would have decided that they would never take into account his purchase.
Joan Laport claims that Nico Williams' representatives did not accept Barcelona's conditions
More recently, the president of the Spanish champion, Joan Laporta, came up with details about the failure of the negotiations. “The negotiations for Luis Díaz were complicated and we were in the middle of the negotiations with Rashford when Nico Williams's agent came to us giving us the opportunity to transfer it.
Deco told me that we had to listen to the proposal of Nico Williams's agent. But there was a big difference between what we were told and what actually happened in terms of payment terms, the agent's commission... a whole series of variables indicated that the transaction would not materialize.
Deco set a 48 -hour deadline, did not accept our conditions … and the business failed, “Laporta, who insisted on specifying that His priority “was Luis Diaz or Marcus Rashford”.
Marc Cucurella: “Nico Williams was afraid he would not be recorded”
Marc Cucurella, Nico Williams' teammate at the Spanish national, has another variant. In an interview with Streamer Gerard Romero, the former defender of Barcelona, now in Chelsea, thus commented on Williams' decision: “I think he was just afraid he would not be registered.”
Asked what he would do in such a situation, Cucurella admitted: “What if Barça would knock on my door? I don't know … And if I can't record you? Even if I promise, I don't trust anyone today. “
Due to the financial problems they face, the Spanish champion had big problems last summer in the Spanish League on Dani Olmo, bought from RB Leipzig for 55 million euros. The midfielder then lost several stages of championship until he could play, and in January 2025 there were problems again with his registration, for the second part of the season.
Barcelona does not comply at the present time the 1: 1 rule and it is not clear when he will be able to record the purchased players
Barcelona transferred to this summer Mercato on Joan Garcia, Roony Bardghji and Marcus Rashford, but it is not yet clear if all three can be recorded on time for the start of the new season.
Only with Joan Garcia has spent 25 million euros, but from sales has only 11 million, taken on Alex Valle, left for Como, and Pablo Torre (Mallorca), so he does not respect the 1: 1 rule, according to which you have to sell at least the same money than you buy.
