Nico Williams' agent explains why the Barcelona transfer collapsed

Félix Tainta, the representative of Nico and Iñaki Williams, has broken his silence about the summer in which Barcelona came close to signing the Athletic Club winger. Speaking on a podcast, the agent admitted that Nico was open to leaving, but the deal collapsed for one key reason: the Catalan club could not guarantee that the player would be registered or that he would get regular minutes.

• Nico Williams wanted to leave Athletic Club and seriously considered Barcelona's offer.
• The move collapsed because Barça could not guarantee the player's registration.
• Tainta kept Athletic Club informed about all negotiations from day one.
• Athletic Club understood that a player of Nico's quality could look for other challenges.
• The winger renewed with Athletic after turning down the Barcelona route.

The negotiations between Barcelona, Athletic Club and Nico Williams

Tainta explained that after Euro 2024 several top European clubs came calling: Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and PSG, among others. Nico Williams was on everyone's radar, and the agent himself admitted that it is rare to find a footballer of his level capable of turning down so many elite clubs.

Athletic Club were aware of everything because Tainta kept them informed at every step. However, the relationship between Athletic and Barcelona was already strained by the way the Catalan club had approached the situation. Despite that, the agent opened a direct line with Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, and they began negotiating the terms of the transfer.

Why Nico Williams did not sign for Barça: the registration problem

The talks reached a point where the player could not afford to be left in limbo. Tainta used a vivid comparison: Nico is like a Formula 1 car, and if Barcelona had an internal problem, that problem could not fall on the player. It was not just about the upcoming World Cup, but about the right of any professional to keep working without their new employer's obstacles preventing them from doing their job.

The agent put it bluntly to the Catalan club: without guarantees of registration and playing time, they could not risk Nico being left without football. Faced with a lack of total certainty, the Williams family decided to change course.

Nico is a Formula 1 car, and if I go to your house I cannot eat your problem. If you don't give me security that it won't affect me, I might have to change my mind.

Two summers of talks with Deco and a change of direction

Tainta confirmed that there were significant contacts in the summer of 2024, right after the Euros, and that the following year they became even more intense. The dynamic was positive, but each side defended its own interests. For the agent, the priority was always to protect Nico Williams' career, just as he would do with any other professional, whether a footballer or a waiter.

The representative denied that there was any confrontation with Barcelona. He always dealt with them in a straightforward manner, without tricks or lies, and that is something nobody at the Catalan club can hold against him. He simply did his job well, defending his player's position with facts, logic and common sense.

Nico Williams' renewal with Athletic Club and his loyalty

In December 2023, Nico Williams renewed with Athletic Club for three years when he had one year left on his contract. Tainta pointed out that the player could have left for free in 2024 and earned a huge signing bonus, especially after the tournament he had with the Spanish national team. But neither the player nor his camp considered leaving without the club receiving a financial return.

The release clause remained unchanged in that renewal, a gesture of loyalty that the agent wanted to highlight. Nico knew everything Athletic had given him and refused to leave for nothing.

Nico Williams wanted to leave: ambition, limitations and the final decision

Tainta admitted that Nico had the idea of leaving Athletic Club. He is an ambitious player and in Bilbao he is aware of the project's sporting limitations: he knows that winning the Champions League is extremely difficult and that even a league title is a distant goal. That is why, after turning down several clubs, Barcelona emerged as a real option.

When the Barça move did not materialise, the agent offered him an alternative: renew with Athletic. Nico agreed and the deal was done. The sporting ambition remained intact, but loyalty and the guarantee of playing time carried more weight at that moment.