Nico Williams Stuns Barcelona with Unexpected Rejection - Inside Story Emerges
Nico Williams turned down a transfer to Barcelona following the La Liga titleholders' refusal to accommodate his requirements regarding several key matters, according to a new report.
Barcelona had reached an agreement on personal terms with Williams and appeared poised to secure the Spanish international's services, but after multiple days of minimal advancement, stories surfaced indicating the transfer was at risk.
However, hardly anyone anticipated Athletic's unexpected announcement that Williams had not only declined Barcelona's offer, but had also penned a fresh deal committing himself to his childhood club through 2035 while increasing his buyout clause.
The collapse of discussions occurred after it became clear that Barcelona are still not functioning under La Liga's 1:1 financial regulations and, currently, would be unable to register Williams in their roster—a comparable predicament that troubled the club following last season's signing of Dani Olmo.
According to MARCA, Williams was unwilling to endure the same uncertainty experienced by Olmo, whose registration was cancelled in January before Spanish government intervention.
Williams and his advisors were willing to proceed with a Barcelona transfer only if the club inserted a provision in his deal that would grant him immediate free release if registration failed. Barcelona completely rejected negotiating such terms, stating clearly they wouldn't permit a player they intended to acquire for €62 million ($73 million) to depart without compensation.
Although Barcelona refused to jeopardize their financial commitment, Williams eventually rejected the risk of potentially being unable to compete due to factors outside his influence.
This wasn't the sole complication in talks. Barcelona couldn't satisfy Williams's representative's fee expectations and was unable to provide assurances regarding their approach to activating his release clause, leading Williams to ultimately reject the move.
Based on Fabrizio Romano's report, Williams's new contract features a release clause valued at €100 million (£86.3 million, $117.8 million). While this amount doesn't eliminate future transfer possibilities, it significantly reduces the pool of clubs able to pursue his acquisition.