Nico Williams’ agent reveals why Barcelona transfer collapsed: ‘If certain guarantees weren’t in place…’

Nico Williams’ agent reveals why Barcelona transfer collapsed: ‘If certain guarantees weren’t in place…’ Nico Williams’ agent, Felix Tainta, has revealed why the Athletic Club winger’s proposed move to Barcelona failed, explaining that guarantees over playing time became a decisive factor during negotiations. Barcelona were heavily linked with Williams in the summer of 2025 after his impressive performances for club and country, while his friendship with Lamine Yamal also added to the excitement surrounding a potential move to Camp Nou. However, despite Barcelona’s interest and competition from several European heavyweights, the transfer never materialised .  Tainta has now explained how the negotiations unfolded and why the possibility of remaining at Athletic Club eventually became the preferred option. Nico Williams’ agent reveals Barcelona faced competition Tainta began by confirming that Barcelona’s interest in Williams had existed since the summer of 2024, following the European Championship.  The Catalans were far from the only club pursuing the winger, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain also among his potential destinations. “We all know about Barça’s interest in the summer of ’24, after the European Championship. Barça, Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool, PSG… I could name them all.  “Everyone wanted Nico, and it’s not easy for a player to say no to all these clubs,” he said, as per SPORT . The agent also insisted that Athletic Club were kept informed throughout the negotiations, despite tensions between the two clubs over how Barcelona handled the situation. “We were in talks with Barça; Athletic knew this because I kept them updated at all times on how the situation was progressing, even though Athletic were angry with Barça over the way they’d handled things,” he admitted. Barcelona were interested in Nico Williams in 2025. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) According to Tainta, Athletic understood that Williams could leave, and the negotiations were not as difficult as some accounts suggested. “It wasn’t difficult; Athletic could understand that Nico was going to leave.” Nico Williams to Barcelona: Playing-time guarantees became crucial The decisive issue was whether Williams would receive sufficient playing time at Barcelona.  With a World Cup approaching, the winger could not afford to jeopardise his place by joining a club where his role was uncertain. Tainta used a striking comparison to explain his client’s expectations. “There comes a point in the negotiations, in the situation, when Nico simply cannot go without playing.  Nico is a Formula 1 driver, and if I come to your house, I can’t just take on your problems – and that’s what I made clear to Barça.” The agent stressed that the decision was about protecting Williams’ professional development rather than simply choosing between clubs. “We decided that if certain guarantees weren’t in place, we couldn’t risk Nico going there only to end up not playing, especially with a World Cup coming up.  “Even if there weren’t a World Cup, he’s a professional who has to practise his profession,” he said. Nico Williams could have left Athletic Club. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Williams was ambitious and understood the limitations of remaining at Athletic, but the prospect of joining a bigger club had to make sporting sense. “Nico realised he might leave. He’s ambitious; at Athletic you know the limitations – you know you’re not going to win the Champions League, perhaps just La Liga.” Why Nico Williams renewed his Athletic Club contract As the available options gradually disappeared, Tainta raised the possibility of Williams renewing his contract at San Mames . The winger agreed, bringing the transfer uncertainty to an end. “In the end, when he kept saying ‘not here, not here, not here’, then ‘this might work’, but the situation and what it entails didn’t add up.  “There’s another twist where you say, ‘What if I renew my contract?’ I put it to him, I said, ‘This is how it stands – do you want me to fight for it?’ And he agreed. And that’s when we renewed his contract.” Tainta also defended Williams’ loyalty to Athletic, recalling that the player had already renewed his deal in December 2023 rather than leaving as a free agent in 2024. “That’s when we renewed for three years. Just imagine what Nico could have had as a free agent, given his performance at the European Championship – where, in my view, he was the best player, even though they cheated us out of it.  “But we understood that we couldn’t just walk away for free.” The agent concluded by underlining that Williams remained committed to Athletic despite the financial opportunities available elsewhere. “We renewed with the same release clause. We could have left for free with an incredible signing bonus, but we didn’t. He remained loyal to Athletic.”