Nico Williams’ Barcelona snub: What really happened and when Barça found out

The night of Thursday, 3 July, was especially eventful in Bilbao, though its seismic implications for the summer transfer window were only just beginning to ripple across the footballing landscape. With complete discretion, Athletic Club and the representatives of their prodigious winger, Nico Williams, were meticulously preparing one of the biggest bombshells of the summer. While the football world, particularly Barcelona, was convinced Williams was destined for Camp Nou, the reality unfolding behind closed doors in the Basque Country painted a vastly different picture, one of swift, decisive action by Athletic to secure their prized asset.

For weeks, speculation had mounted regarding Williams’ future, with Barcelona widely considered to be in pole position. Reports suggested a pre-agreement was all but finalized, and the Catalan giants were seemingly confident that activating his release clause was merely a formality. However, Athletic Club, long renowned for their unwavering commitment to their Basque-only policy and their fierce determination to retain homegrown talent, had been working tirelessly and silently. Their strategy was not to merely counter Barcelona’s advances, but to pre-empt them entirely. While Barcelona’s sporting director and recruitment team were busy sketching out plans for Williams’ arrival, Athletic were solidifying a long-term commitment from the player, one that would emphatically quash any lingering doubts about his allegiance.