Athletic Club president admits relationship with Barcelona ‘cold’ after Nico Williams saga | OneFootball

One of Barcelona’s biggest disappointments this past summer was the pursuit of Nico Williams.

The Catalans were close to signing the Spaniard this time around, even reaching advanced talks with all parties. However, after failing to guarantee immediate registration, the club failed to close the deal in time.

This gave Athletic the opportunity to extend the contract of the explosive winger, whose new deal at the club expires in 2035.

In light of the failed Nico Williams transfer, Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte recently spoke to the media (h/t SPORT), notably discussing interest from Barcelona.

What Uriarte said about Barcelona

When asked about interest from Barcelona, Uriarte claimed that he was not surprised at all, as he considers the winger a top player.

“We have impressive talent in the men’s first team, and it’s normal that it generates interest from top European teams. Nico is in this category; he had a lot of interest from a powerful European team,” he said on Barcelona’s interest.

Talking about Nico’s eventual contract extension, the president added, “We worked on extending his contract; we worked harder until we got it. It’s good to have these players.

“Normally, there’s interest, and it’s important to retain this talent, and we achieved that.”

The Athletic Club president added that the club were always keen on retaining the services of the Barcelona target.

“We wanted to retain the talent, enjoy it long-term, it suited both parties and was the right decision,” he said.

Uriarte played a key role in keeping Nico at Athletic Club. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Uriarte also asked about Athletic Club’s relationship with Barcelona, where he admitted some level of tension but added that the Basque outfit have utmost respect for the Catalans.

“They’re cold, but we have the utmost respect for the club,” he said.

Talking about his own relationship with the Blaugrana and their president, Joan Laporta, he offered a rather coy response.

“I don’t usually get involved. I didn’t speak to Laporta before or after the contract renewal, nor did I speak to anyone at Al Nassr or Osasuna,” he added.

Jon Uriarte went on to talk about Athletic Club’s meeting with La Liga officials, seeking information about Barça’s financial situation, just prior to Nico Williams’ contract extension.

“We visited La Liga officials to discuss many outstanding issues between the club and the management. In this case, we wanted to ensure that the regulations were being met. We wanted to be sure about the registration,” he said.

“No confidential information was shared with Athletic Club,” he added.

Finally, the Athletic Club president was asked to comment on La Liga’s efforts to host the Barcelona – Villarreal game in Miami.

“Barcelona would have an advantage because they have a larger audience,” he concluded.