It is no secret that FC Barcelona went after the signing of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams during the summer of 2025 with great fervour.
For a while, it even appeared like the UEFA Euro 2024 winner would be making the switch from the Basque country to Catalonia, to unite with his close friend Lamine Yamal.
In the end, though, the move did not come through as Williams opted to continue playing at his boyhood club at least for another season.
Barça, for their part, still admire the Spanish international, although recent reports have suggested that the interest in him might not be as strong as before, especially with other targets like Rafael Leao and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia emerging.
Nico Williams sending transfer signals to Barcelona
However, according to SPORT’s Toni Juanmarti, Nico Williams feels a greater desire to join Barcelona than he did four months ago, when he was unwilling to commit to the club without guaranteed registration in La Liga.
In regular contact with Barcelona’s dressing room, Nico has hinted that he still harbours the dream of signing for the Catalan club.
Nico eager to join Barcelona. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)
While he is happy in Bilbao, he is also ambitious to take a step forward in his career, understanding that at Barcelona, he would have more opportunities to win titles and increase his personal value.
Nico’s desire to join Barcelona is still present, and in fact, it has intensified. At least that’s the impression within the club, where they sense a greater interest from his camp regarding a potential move next summer.
Situation no longer the same
However, the situation now is different. Barcelona still view Nico as an excellent player, but other factors are shifting the landscape.
One of those is the signing of Dani Olmo, which represented a significant investment in attack. Another is the rise of Raphinha, who has become a crucial figure for the team.
And there is another factor: it appears that Robert Lewandowski will stay, which has led the club to consider more versatile profiles – players who can function both as strikers and wingers.
Additionally, Nico has not made the best of starts to the season. Given the combination of factors, Barcelona has put the option of signing the Athletic forward on hold.
However, this does not mean that his arrival has been ruled out. The interest remains, but the Blaugrana are in no rush to make any firm moves at this stage.