Barcelona’s inability to provide guarantees over Nico Williams’ registration derailed the proposed move in the summer of 2025, his agent, Félix Tainta, has finally revealed.
The Spanish football powerhouse had been keen to sign the Spain international, with their interest extending over two summers, following his top-class performances for both Spain and Athletic Bilbao.
Williams became one of the most sought-after players in Europe in summer 2024 after playing an integral role in Spain’s success at the 2024 European Championship and helping Athletic Bilbao end their 40-year trophy drought by winning the Copa del Rey.
According to Tainta, negotiations had taken place between Barcelona and Bilbao over a possible transfer of the enterprising attacker.
However, the move ultimately fell through over Barcelona’s inability to guarantee Williams’ registration under La Liga’s financial regulations.
“We were in talks with Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao were aware of this. They knew what was happening throughout the process, although the club was not happy with Barcelona’s actions,” he said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
“As the negotiations progressed, it became clear that Nico Williams could not afford to take the risk of not playing. It’s like a Formula 1 car; if I move into your house, I shouldn’t inherit your problems. I made that perfectly clear to Barcelona,” he added.
“We decided, in the absence of specific guarantees, that we could not risk Nico going there and then ending up without playing. He is a professional and needs to practice his profession, especially with the World Cup approaching at that time,” he explained.
“If I come to your house to do my job, I should be able to continue doing it and your problems shouldn’t affect me. If you can’t ensure that doesn’t happen, maybe I should change my mind. That’s exactly what happened,” Tainta concluded.
Williams ultimately remained at Athletic Bilbao, where he has established himself as one of the club’s most important attacking players.