Athletic Club star delights fans with response to Barcelona transfer question | OneFootball

Athletic Club and Barcelona have certainly endured strained relations over the last couple of years, and the chance for Los Leones to get one over on the Catalan giants is received with open arms these days. Midfield star Mikel Jauregizar’s response over a hypothetical move to Barcelona has gone down well with Athleticzales as a result.

In recent years, Athletic fans rained down monopoly money on during a game against the Blaugrana as a protest against Barcelona’s relationship with ex-Vice-President of the Referees Committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Since, Barcelona have on two occasions tried to pry star man Nico Williams from Bilbao, coming up short on both occasions.

Mikel Jauregizar response to hypothetical Barcelona move

During a press conference held by Athletic, Jauregizar was asked what he would say were Barcelona to swoop for him as they did with Williams. His blunt response was well received in the Basque Country, saying simply, ‘No.’

Jauregizar is currently under contract with Athletic until 2031, having signed a six-year deal with Los Leones. Liverpool showed some interest in him earlier this year, but his new deal contains no release clause.

“[It’s] a dream come true. The fact that the club is putting such a strong faith in me makes me very proud. That shows how proud we are and how much we want to play for Athletic and in this project,” he told Diario AS.

Jauregizar set for major season at Athletic

Image via Cordon Press

Williams enjoyed a momentous return to action at San Mames last Sunday, roared on by the fans as he scored and gave two assists in a 3-2 win over Sevilla. He will be the face of the team in Bilbao, while Jauregizar behind him is set for his first season as a de facto starter.

The 21-year-old scored against Manchester United in the Europa League semi-final last season, and became one of the hardest midfielders in Spain to play against. He was also involved in Spain’s under-21 side at the Euros this past summer as a starting option for Santi Denia.