The football world has just been rocked! Nico Williams, the brilliant 22-year-old winger of Athletic Bilbao, has decided to extend his contract with his club, leaving Barcelona in total shock and without their mega transfer of the season. While Catalan media had been claiming for months that the transfer was all but done, Athletic announced that Williams signed a new contract until 2028, with a release clause increased from 60 to a whopping 90 million euros! Yes, you read that right – 90 million! Barcelona, who had already agreed on all the details with the player and was preparing to register him, now has to look for new options because they couldn’t register Williams due to financial fair play rules, despite media reports to the contrary.
Williams has played 88 matches for Athletic, scored 31 goals, and assisted 30, and last summer was a key player for Spain at the European Championship. His staying in the Basque club has caused a real storm among fans – after he rejected Barcelona last summer, his face was erased from a mural in a Bilbao suburb, then repainted, and last night it was destroyed again with the words “big-eared rat” painted over it. Yes, the drama is at its peak!
Barcelona, after this shock, immediately turned their attention to finding a new left winger and found one at Liverpool – Luis Diaz, the Colombian international valued at 70 million euros, is now their new target. Liverpool doesn’t want to sell him, and Bayern is also interested. All in all, the Catalan giant is in big trouble and must act fast.
This saga shows how unpredictable the football world is and how financial fair play can disrupt even seemingly agreed transfers. Athletic Bilbao has shown its teeth and made it clear they won’t let go of their gem easily. And Barcelona? Well, we’ll see how they get out of this mess. If you have any thoughts or think Williams made a mistake, feel free to drop a comment – football drama is always better with a little spice!
