Nico Williams provides fresh insight into rejecting Barcelona for Athletic Club | OneFootball

Athletic Club star Nico Williams has this week opened up for the latest occasion on the reasoning behind his call to reject a summer move to La Liga rivals Barcelona.

Winger Nico’s links with Barca of course proved the headline story of the early months of the transfer window.

This came as the Camp Nou brass identified the Spanish international as the leading target to reinforce the club’s attacking ranks.

Nico, in turn, went as far as to agree on the terms of a contract with the Blaugrana.

At the last minute, however, the 23-year-old pulled the plug on the transfer, to instead pen a new lucrative deal with Athletic Club.

The entire saga left those of a Barcelona persuasion with something of a sour taste in their mouths, with Nico now considered public enemy no.1 by many in Catalunya’s capital.

Speaking during an interview with GQ this week, the subject of his controversial decision to knock back the advances of the Spanish champions at the last was in turn put to the Spaniard once more.

And Nico did not hesitate in explaining:

“Athletic and Bilbao are everything to me. Here I have grown as a person and as a player. Representing this club and this city has made me understand the value of work, humility and family.”

Conor Laird – GSFN