PSG Was ‘Quite Confident’ in Winning Race for Barcelona Target Before Offer Was Rejected | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain was one of several clubs interested in Athletic Club’s star, Nico Williams. However, the UEFA Euro 2024 winner reportedly turned down their offer this summer, a decision that reportedly surprised the Parisians.

Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Barcelona, and PSG are all reportedly eyeing Williams at one point this summer transfer window.

According to a recent report from Diario SPORT, Williams has officially turned down PSG’s offer. Manager Luis Enrique and sports director Luis Campos have been informed, and they believe he’ll be staying with Athletic Club.

RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins spoke about PSG’s confidence in its pursuit of Williams, which has reportedly fallen short.

“The strategy of more bling-bling seems to be confirmed,” Hawkins said (h/t Le10Sport). “Despite everything, I had heard about a star profile. Nico Williams, I had mentioned a figure of 70 percent. PSG was quite confident about this file. But no. He should stay in Bilbao.”

Moreover, Williams could stay at Athletic Club because of his older brother, Iñaki Williams. Mundo Deportivo recently reported that the older Williams is the one who is putting the most pressure on his brother Nico to stay at Athletic. The older Williams wants to play with his brother in the UEFA Europa League this season.

The younger Williams also impressed at the club level, making 37 appearances across all competitions for Athletic Club last season. He scored eight goals and provided 19 assists, contributing to the team’s success in winning the 2024 Copa del Rey.