Barcelona’s much-rumoured pursuit of Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao came to nothing this summer—and sporting director Deco has now clarified exactly why negotiations broke down, painting a picture both of high expectations and unresolved demands.
Deco has repeatedly said that Barça were interested in Williams, but that the deal hinged on conditions meeting the club’s standards. One of the sticking points was a request from Williams’ camp for an exit clause: specifically, a guarantee that if Barcelona failed to register him by a certain deadline (Allegedly around the start of La Liga on August 20), the clause would allow him to walk away for free. Barcelona refused to agree to that, in large part because of the risk it posed of losing a high-value player without compensation.
Beyond contractual specifics, Deco emphasised that the club already has several strong options out wide—Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Ferran Torres (now often playing more centrally), the returning Ansu Fati, plus emerging players like Fermín and newcomer Dani Olmo, who allow tactical flexibility. Because of this depth, Deco said Barcelona would only bring someone in if the player were of “very high level”.
Another factor was Williams’s level of certainty and alignment with Barcelona’s project. Deco has suggested that, when compared with other targets, Williams was less willing—or perceived as less willing—to make the jump under the club’s terms. Meanwhile, Dani Olmo showed more readiness to commit, which tipped priorities.
The final blow came when Athletic Bilbao secured Williams on a new long-term contract until 2035, increasing his release clause by over 50 %, effectively putting the transfer out of reach under currently acceptable Barça deal structures.
So while many fans hoped Barcelona would close the deal, it was a mix of contractual demands, registration uncertainties, competition for places, and Athletic’s firm stance that left the deal undone—not simply a failure to try.
Africa Digital News, New York
