Nico Williams has signed a new 10-year contract with Athletic Club to stun Barcelona and surely bring an end to his transfer saga for this summer.
The Spain international winger had been widely expected to join the Blaugrana and hook up with close friend Lamine Yamal at Camp Nou, but it appears that for a second summer in a row talks have broken down.
In a social post with the tag: “The power of the heart,” Athletic have confirmed that Nico has signed on with his club for the next decade. His contract runs until 2035.
The Basque side has confirmed that his release clause has increased by more than 50% compared to his previous deal. It is thought that this stands around €95-100m, putting him out of the reach of the Blaugrana for the moment.
“When decisions have to be made, for me, what weighs most is the heart. I’m where I want to be, with my people, this is my home. Aupa Athletic!” Nico said in a statement.
Why did Nico Williams’ Barcelona transfer break down?
It appears that Barcelona failed to sign Nico Williams largely because they were unable to offer the player guarantees that he would be registered without any problems.
The Catalan side have had issues in this regard in the past and were nearly unable to register Dani Olmo after a big-money move from RB Leipzig last summer.
While Olmo was offered the guarantee of being released from his deal had this not been resolved – something that the player never seemed likely to take up – Spanish reports indicate that Nico was not offered the same assurance and was, therefore, holding back on making the move.
