Barça explodes at Nico Williams' 'no' and his renewal with Athletic

Published New:4/07/2025 - 15:53h

Updated New:4/07/2025 - 16:31h

The winger has renewed with Athletic until 2035, despite the fact that Barça took his signing for granted. The culé club found out through social media

Monumental blow that FC Barcelona has taken with Nico Williams, since the left winger from Pamplona has decided to renew his link with Athletic Club until 2035, thus reaffirming his desire to remain in the Basque team and leaving that inevitable feeling of having used the azulgrana team to achieve a more lucrative contractual extension, in a case that many already compare with that of Mbappé and Real Madrid at the time.

Anger at FC Barcelona over the handling of the case

In this sense, the decision of the Spanish international has generated a monumental anger on the part of the Catalan team, for the way in which this whole case has developed. Especially, as they point out in SPORT, for the fact that the team from the Condal City ended up finding out about Nico Williams' renewal with Athletic Club through the announcement on social media, and not because the player and his environment were upfront and admitted to having opted for his continuity in Bilbao.

What weighs the most is the heart ❤️#AthleticWIN #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/do1QvtqYbP
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) July 4, 2025

In turn, we must not ignore the undeniable feeling of disbelief when Nico Williams' renewal was announced, after he, apparently, after several days of negotiations, had even managed to reach a verbal agreement with Barcelona. It was said that the agreement contemplated a six-season contract, until 2031, and with a salary amount of between seven and eight million euros net.

An agreement that was already advanced and that was only pending the payment of the termination clause, stipulated at 58 million euros plus VAT.

Athletic pressure and impossible demands

However, this final step was complicated by different factors: both by the pressure from Athletic Club —a team willing to go to the last consequences in order to retain its star, even raising a complaint to LaLiga and asking to audit the accounts of the Barcelona team— as well as by the player's own environment, which demanded a series of guarantees that were difficult to meet, at least for the moment, by the azulgrana team.

Nico Williams prioritizes Athletic: Barça, used?

However, Nico Williams and his environment decided to throw away any alleged agreement with Barcelona, to renew with his team of a lifetime. But not before making it clear that: "When you have to make decisions, for me what weighs the most is the heart. I am where I want to be, with my people."

Nico Williams in the match between Athletic Club and Real Valladolid in LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25

A loud and clear message that gives the impression that, simply, the Pamplona striker has used Barça —as well as other teams— as a springboard to end up getting a stellar contract with the Basque team. A move that, definitely, has marginalized him from any possible arrival at the culé club in the future. It is a door that has been closed forever, and with good reason, thus marking one of the most controversial transfer attempts that are remembered in the recent history of the Catalan team.