Nico Williams: Reason for Shock Barcelona Snub ‘Revealed’ | OneFootball

Nico Williams snubbed a move to Barcelona after the La Liga champions refused to meet his demands over a handful of issues, a report has revealed.

Barcelona had agreed personal terms with Williams and seemed certain to land the Spain international’s signature but, after several days of little progress, reports emerged suggesting the deal was in danger.

Still, few could have predicted Athletic’s sudden revelation that Williams had not only rejected Barcelona, but signed a new contract to tie himself to his boyhood side until 2035 and raise his release clause.

The breakdown in negotiations came following the revelation that Barcelona are not yet operating under La Liga’s 1:1 financial rules and, as it stands, would not be able to register Williams in their squad—a similar dilemma which plagued the club after last season’s acquisition of Dani Olmo.

As noted by MARCA, Williams was not prepared to accept the same uncertainty suffered through by Olmo, who saw his playing license revoked in January before intervention from the Spanish government.

Williams had issues with his contract negotiations with Barcelona. / IMAGO/Ricardo Larreina Amador

Williams and his representatives were happy to complete a move to Barcelona only if the club included a clause in his contract which would see him immediately released for free if he was not registered. Barcelona flat-out refused to negotiate over such an issue, making it clear they would not allow a player they planned to sign for €62 million ($73 million) to leave for free.

While Barcelona refused to risk losing their investment, Williams ultimately declined to accept the gamble of potentially not being able to play due to circumstances beyond his control.

This was not the only issue in negotiations. Barcelona failed to meet Williams’s agent’s commission demands and could not offer guarantees when it came to their method of triggering his release clause, and Williams ultimately closed the door to a move.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Williams’s contract now includes a release clause worth €100 million (£86.3 million, $117.8 million). Such a fee does not rule out a future transfer but drastically limits the number of clubs capable of pursuing his signature.