Nico Williams' agent reveals details behind failed transfer to FC Barcelona

Felix Tainta, Nico Williams' agent, revealed details of the negotiations between the player and FC Barcelona during the summers of 2024 and 2025, explaining the reasons for the deal not being completed and the continued stay of the Spanish winger with Athletic Bilbao.

Tainta said on the podcast "Los Fulanos": "Everyone knows about Barcelona's interest in the summer of 2024, after the Euro Championship. Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain... I can mention all the clubs. Everyone wanted to sign Nico, and it's not easy to have a player who rejects all these clubs."

He added: "After that, we spoke with FC Barcelona, and Athletic Bilbao was aware of everything, as I was constantly updating them on the developments of the situation, even though Athletic was angry with Barcelona over the way they handled the matter. We reached a stage in the negotiations where Nico could no longer stay without playing. Nico is like a Formula 1 car, and if you go home, I can't bear your problems at my expense, and that's what I made clear to Barcelona."

And he said: "We decided that if we do not get certain guarantees, we cannot risk Nico's transfer to FC Barcelona, and then he does not participate, especially with the World Cup coming up. Even beyond the World Cup, he is a professional player who must practice his profession. I go to your club to practice my profession, and I must continue to do my job. If you have a problem, it should not affect me. And if you do not give me guarantees that it will not affect me, I may have to change my mind."

He added regarding the summers of 2024 and 2025: "There were very important contacts in the summer of the Euro Championship, and in the following summer, the contacts were even more significant. Things haven't changed much; the path was good, but when you reach a certain stage, you defend your interests, and I, as I said from the first minute, will always defend my players fiercely."

He emphasized: "When you have data, logic, and reasonable arguments for what you do, no one can object to you. I ask for something fundamental in the life of any professional, whether it's a football player or a waiter. If you are working as a waiter and cannot practice your profession, you are in a difficult situation. From here, things change and a different course is taken."

Tainta spoke about his relationship with FC Barcelona, saying: "As long as you deal clearly and do things the right way, no one at Barcelona can blame me. You have to be straightforward and not deceive others or lie to them. You may do things better or worse, and they may agree or disagree with you, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person or a rogue; it just means you're doing your job correctly."

Regarding Athletic Bilbao's position, he clarified: "It wasn't difficult, as Athletic Bilbao understood that Nico might leave, and they recognized he is a special player like a Formula 1 car, and that he could look for other options. We didn't discuss that he renewed his contract in December 2023, even though his contract was set to expire in 2024. At that time, we renewed the contract for three years. Imagine what Nico could have earned if he had left for free, especially after the Euro Championship he had, where I believe he was the best player, even though they robbed him of his due recognition."

He continued: "We saw that we shouldn't leave for free. We renewed the contract while keeping the same release clause. We could have left for free and received a huge signing bonus, but we didn't do that. The player has been loyal to Athletic Bilbao."

The player's agent concluded his remarks by revealing Nico's desire to embark on a new experience, stating: "Nico was thinking about leaving. He is an ambitious player, and at Athletic Bilbao, you know the limits of the team, and you realize that you won't win the Champions League, and perhaps you won't win LaLiga either. In the end, when he was saying: no, no, no, then he reaches an option that might be suitable, but he finds that the circumstances and what comes with the transfer do not align with his aspirations, you start thinking about another option, which is renewing the contract. I presented the idea to him and said: this is the situation, do you want me to fight for it? He agreed, and then we renewed the contract."