Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams was one of the breakout stars of Euro 2024. The 22-year-old played a crucial role in helping the young Spanish team win their fourth European championship. After an outstanding tournament, where he was named Player of the Match in the final, many expected Williams to become one of the hottest transfer targets of the summer.
And he did, drawing interest from clubs like Aston Villa, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Among these, Barcelona seemed the most likely to secure his signature, with a move looking imminent at one point. However, the transfer didn’t happen, and Williams stayed with Bilbao. Various explanations have emerged, including claims that Barcelona couldn’t afford him or that Williams wasn’t convinced by the move.
However, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco recently clarified the real reason. In an interview, Deco revealed that the club decided not to pursue Williams because they didn’t see a pressing need for him in their squad. He explained:
“A top-level winger was needed. We already have Raphinha, Ferran, and Ansu, who was excellent in preseason before his foot injury, as well as Lamine. We also have players like Fermín or Dani Olmo who can play as wingers. We were clear that any new signing had to be of a very high level, and in the end, signing Dani Olmo gave us more flexibility. It’s not that we didn’t have conversations with clubs and players, but we had other priorities that led us to pass on another winger.”
Ultimately, Barcelona signed Williams’ Spain teammate Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of over €55 million
