7 Key Reasons Why Nico Williams’ £50m Move to Barcelona Collapsed

Nico Williams was set to join Barcelona from Athletic Bilbao in a £50m bid, but the move hit an embarrasing snug earlier this week.

Barcelona’s ambitious pursuit of Nico Williams — one of Spain’s most electrifying young talents — appeared to be a done deal. Verbal agreements were in place, finances were mapped out, and even some Barça players were already speculating about shirt numbers.

And yet, the entire deal collapsed almost overnight.

What went wrong?

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According to a detailed exposé by The Athletic, and corroborated by internal club sources and parties close to Williams, the failed transfer was the result of a complex cocktail of legal fears, financial mistrust, political tension, and emotional loyalty.

Here are the 7 decisive reasons the deal crumbled — despite Barcelona’s clear intentions and Williams’ initial openness.

 Williams Wanted an Exit Clause — Barcelona Flatly Refused

Despite a shared intention to get the deal over the line, Williams’ representatives requested a key safeguard: an exit clause that would allow him to leave if Barça couldn’t register him by August 20, right after La Liga’s opening matchday.

Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, declined — despite having granted similar clauses to Dani Olmo, Ilkay Gündogan, and Jules Koundé in previous seasons. This move killed the deal.

Registration Fears: Barça’s Troubled Past Haunted Negotiations

Barça’s recent history of registration failures — particularly with Dani Olmo — spooked Williams’ camp. In 2024, Olmo was only registered via a government intervention, after La Liga blocked his inclusion due to salary cap breaches.

The possibility of Williams being ineligible to play weeks into the season, despite signing, was a risk his team refused to take.

Deco’s Dani Olmo Trauma from Last Season Made Him Inflexible

Deco reportedly endured significant pressure during the Olmo debacle — first securing an emergency registration, only for it to be reversed by La Liga, and then restored via Spain’s Higher Sports Council.

That episode shaped Deco’s adamant stance: no more clauses that risk Barça losing expensive signings for free.

“It’s a trauma Deco didn’t want to relive,” the report explained.

Athletic Club Fought Back — Hard

Athletic Club, understandably furious over Barça’s open pursuit of a contracted player, took legal and political steps to counter the move.

They held talks with La Liga president Javier Tebas, demanding scrutiny of Barcelona’s salary cap status. Then, they released a public statement condemning Deco’s comments and questioning Barça’s financial legitimacy.

This deepened hostilities and made the environment hostile for a clean transfer.

Williams Was Offered a Massive Contract to Stay — and Took It

Athletic presented a 10-year deal with a net salary of €10M per year — making Williams the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

Thanks to Basque Country tax laws, Athletic could offer better net earnings than Barça, even without breaking the bank. Former Barça VP Eduard Romeu estimated Williams would have been 40% more expensive to pay in Catalonia.

“Athletic played to their strengths — loyalty, finances, and stability,” The Athletic noted.

 Barça’s Delays Backfired — Timing Was Everything

Barça didn’t plan to pay Williams’ €58M release clause until after June 30, to move the hit into next season’s budget. But Spanish law requires the player or his reps to physically deposit the clause fee with La Liga — something that demands complete personal commitment.

With the exit clause unresolved, Williams withheld that final step — and the window passed.

The Final Blow: Athletic’s Surprise Video Stunned Barcelona

On Thursday night, while Barça officials were still optimistic, Athletic filmed and edited a contract renewal video featuring Williams spray-painting “WIN 2035” on a mural — a subtle but bold message.

By Friday morning, the video dropped online — and Barça executives and players found out at the same time as the fans. Some were reportedly blindsided, having believed the transfer was all but secured.

Trust, Timing, and Tension Sank the Deal

Nico Williams' failed transfer was not about finances or fame. It was about trust — and Barcelona's inability to provide the kind of guarantees the player needed after years of instability.

While Williams was initially open and enthusiastic — even initiating fresh contact via his camp — the accumulation of legal concerns, slow decision-making, and past failures derailed everything.

Meanwhile, Athletic’s smart maneuvering, emotional ties, and political leverage helped them pull off one of the most dramatic retention coups in recent La Liga memory.

Barcelona must now look elsewhere, with Luis Díaz and Marcus Rashford reportedly on their radar — but they’ll do so knowing they just let Spain’s most in-form winger slip away.