This past summer, Nico Williams of Athletic Club was at the heart of a flurry of transfer speculation, attracting interest from top clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain.
After a standout 2023-24 season, where he made 37 appearances and helped Athletic Club lift the 2024 Copa del Rey, Williams also played a key part in Spain’s success at UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.
Last week, SPORT reported that Athletic Club are eager to extend Williams’ contract, especially with interest from other European clubs. Barcelona are still monitoring him as a potential target, but only if his release clause remains at €60 million.
Nico Williams reveals Barcelona players attempted to sway him
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Williams revealed that two Blaugrana stars tried to persuade him to join Barcelona during the summer transfer window.
“You try to escape it a bit, but you always get some criticism here and there, especially on Twitter, which is where people go hardest,” Williams said (h/t TEAMTalk). “I have suffered, to be honest, I won’t lie to you.
“Even now that I’m no longer involved, I still get messages saying they don’t need me anymore. They would say all kinds of things, from both sides.”
Williams also revealed the two Barca stars who tried to convince him to sign, adding: “On top of that, the guys like Lamine [Yamal], [Alejandro] Balde, and all those guys weren’t helping. They kept telling me, ‘Come over already, bro, come over.’”
This season, the forward has scored two goals and recorded two assists in 14 appearances across all competitions for Athletic Club.
