Nico Williams is expected to remain with Athletic Bilbao next season, leaving Barcelona with virtually no chance of signing the winger this summer, The Athletic reported.
Williams signed a three-year contract extension with the Basque club last December, which runs until 2027. By staying for another season, he would be fulfilling the plan he had since signing that deal.
The 22-year-old intended to stay to play European football with his boyhood club. Athletic qualified for the Europa League with a fifth-place finish in La Liga last season, and the 2024-25 Europa League final is set to be hosted at the club’s San Mames stadium.
While no final decision has been confirmed or communicated to the clubs yet, both Barcelona and Athletic now assume that, barring a last-minute change of heart, Williams will still be an Athletic player come the end of the summer transfer window.
The winger’s release clause at Athletic is around €55 million (£47 million) and he was at the top of Barcelona’s priority list for transfers this summer.
Sporting director Deco chose not to join the club’s other directors on this summer’s U.S. pre-season tour to stay in Spain and monitor the situation. Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, and Chelsea also have an interest in the Spain international.
Barcelona sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their positions, have indicated the club’s chances of signing Williams have diminished over the past few days, and they have alternative targets lined up.
Fellow Spain international Dani Olmo tops that list, but an agreement with RB Leipzig is still far from being reached. Olmo has a €60 million release clause in his contract.
Athletic are willing to offer Williams a new deal with improved terms in the near future, although it is still too early to know if that will happen.
Williams was an important part of Spain’s European Championship-winning campaign, starting six of his side’s seven matches and scoring twice, including the opening goal against England in the final.
Williams is a product of Athletic’s academy and broke into the first team in 2020, going on to make 122 appearances for the club.
He provided five goals and 11 assists in 31 La Liga appearances last season.
Williams’ 30-year-old brother, Inaki, also plays for Athletic and represents Ghana at the international level.
