Nico Williams ultimately turned down FC Barcelona and accepted a 10-year contract with Athletic Bilbao, a decision that came as a shock to Barcelona fans and executives alike.
This outcome highlighted a significant “lack of competence” from Barcelona’s side, according to the source.
Initially, it was Nico Williams’ agent and Williams himself who reached out to Barcelona, expressing readiness to join them in the summer.
Barcelona then had to determine if they could afford the 60 million release clause.
Negotiations progressed, and Barcelona and the player even reached an agreement on personal terms.
Barcelona reportedly had the money to pay the release clause.
However, a significant problem emerged concerning the player’s registration. Nico’s agent, knowing that Barcelona had faced issues with player registration in the past (like with Dani Olmo, who was registered using a La Liga loophole related to an injured player like Christensen), became skeptical.
Despite reports that La Liga president Javier Tebas had informed Barcelona president Joan Laporta that the club was imminent to reach a 1:1 spending ratio (meaning they could spend €1 for every €10 revenue), Nico’s agent still had doubts about his registration after signing.
To address these doubts, Nico Williams’ agent demanded an exit clause be inserted into his contract.
This clause would allow Williams to leave for free if Barcelona was unable to register him into the squad. Barcelona’s top executives, including Deco and Laporta, had publicly stated their intention to sign Nico, confirming they had the necessary funds and would reach the 1:1 ratio. They expected Williams’ camp to show patience and trust.
The source argues that Barcelona should not be blamed, as they are actively working to recover from financial difficulties, including the ongoing construction of their Camp Nou stadium, which causes a loss of at least 100 million Euros per year in ticket revenues while playing at Montjuïc. The speaker believes that the blame lies with Nico Williams’ camp for their lack of patience and for becoming “greedy” or susceptible to pressure.
The situation was so unexpected that even Bilbao-based journalists were surprised, as Nico Williams had explicitly stated he was going to Barcelona.
Barcelona themselves found out about Williams’ renewal through Twitter, having no prior knowledge. The speaker feels “hurt” by this lack of trust, comparing it to preparing a dinner party for someone who then makes unreasonable last-minute demands.
From the perspective of Nico Williams’ camp, their actions might have been driven by a desire to protect his future, especially in a World Cup year where he could not afford to be on the bench due to lack of registration. However, the source emphasizes that Barcelona’s board would not risk signing a 60 million Euro player if they weren’t confident in their ability to register him.
Despite the setback, Barcelona chose not to succumb to the pressure of the agent’s manipulation regarding the exit clause.
The speaker is “proud” that Barcelona held their ground, stating that if they had agreed to the exit clause, it would set a precedent for other agents to exert similar pressure.
Barcelona is now looking to move on and pursue other targets. The source suggests that Barcelona should now pursue a “ruthless” transfer window, focusing on strengthening their defense with players like Dumfries or Gramaldo, and potentially considering loan deals. The incident also led to Nico Williams signing a 10-year contract with Athletic Bilbao, where his release clause will increase from 60 million to 90 million Euros.
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