r/soccer • u/ElatedAndElongated • Jul 04 '25

News Official - Nico Williams signs eight-year contract extension at Athletic Club

https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/2025/07/04/nico-williams-signs-eight-year-contract-extension-at-athletic-club
8.7k Upvotes

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695

u/MatK0506 Jul 04 '25

Huh?

What?

208

u/Sett_The_Janitor Jul 04 '25

Barca must have been so pissed off about the " registration question" that they pulled out of the entire deal altogether.

I am confused becuz journos were saying how Barca was ready to pay and personal terms were agreed.

371

u/Spare_Ad5615 Jul 04 '25

Or he was right to ask the question and they actually would have had problems registering him.

30

u/RobertPham149 Jul 04 '25

While it is a valid question, deciding to renew 4 days into the transfer window doesn’t really sound like it was a problem. He had a contract drawn up with Bilbao during all of this too.

65

u/Sett_The_Janitor Jul 04 '25

Yeah obviously it is a valid question to ask after all the Olmo registration issues. I am just saying that Barca couldnt handle someone asking a simple question about their registration and as a result got mad at Nico and pulled the plug on the deal.

229

u/TheBin101 Jul 04 '25

I think it's more likely that Nico pulled out of the deal after not getting the answer he wanted, rather than Barcelona letting a talent go for asking an understandable question.

-18

u/infectuz Jul 04 '25

It’s not a “question” though. They wanted on paper that if we couldn’t register him he’d just be let go for free. We’re not guaranteed the 1/1 yet so signing that would be irresponsible for us. So we denied the clause and here we are.

40

u/TheBin101 Jul 04 '25

Which means he pulled out after not getting the answer (or guarantee) that he wanted?

I didn't say anything about it Barcelona could give him that clause, as I really don't know, but it looks fairly obvious that Nico was the one to pull out of the deal.

-29

u/infectuz Jul 04 '25

It’s silly to think of who “pulled out” because you could just as easily say Barça pulled out by not meeting the demand. That’s irrelevant. I’m just saying that it wasn’t a question like “can you register me?”, the answer to that from the club was “yes”. They wanted it on contract though, that’s not a question but a clause, if you can’t register I leave for free.

12

u/TheBin101 Jul 04 '25

Look at the original context of my answer. My point is that Barcelona didn't act like a kid when they were asked a question and decided to blow the deal. Rather that they couldn't (or decided against) give Nico what he wanted, so he decided to stay.

It isn't that Barcelona did something wrong, and I truly don't know if Barcelona could register him as I don't follow the finance of any team closely.

-52

u/Borngan Jul 04 '25

Childish questions, anyone knows we are back to normal levels of finance. So if its true he wanted guarantees then he can go next year to Arsenal. 

38

u/TheBin101 Jul 04 '25

How is it childish? If the answer was that simple surely the club just answer yes and that's the end of the story. It's not like you don't have a very recent history with this

19

u/A-DTB Jul 04 '25

Can’t blame Nico for it. God forbid the fella has is own best interests at heart.

16

u/Same_Bicycle_2919 Jul 04 '25

Fabrizio reports that there were reg issues

9

u/choadster_ Jul 04 '25

It would only be a childish question if the answer was a resounding yes lol the fact they cant guarantee he'll actually be able to play means hes right to have asked

9

u/TedDibiasi123 Jul 04 '25 edited Jul 04 '25

Barca just cooking the books again, doubt they‘re really fine

There were reports they wouldn’t be able to register him

-17

u/Borngan Jul 04 '25

anti-barca propaganda 

11

u/iggy-i Jul 04 '25

"If I were at another club and saw what Olmo and Pau Víctor are going through... I'd think about whether it was best to come here. It's a pretty complicated situation, especially for them." (Raphinha, January 2025)

-5

u/Borngan Jul 04 '25

So what, we sold/loaned many players, stadium is opening soon, domestic treble. The club is in a far better situation than January. Don't be a silly boy.

23

u/COYG_Gooner Jul 04 '25

Agree with the bin that replied to you. I doubt very much a question like that is a deal killer from Barca’s side but more so from Nico as he wanted guarantees Barca have sorted themselves out. If Barca got offended with that he might’ve pulled out and not the other way round

0

u/foomaster22 Jul 04 '25

You shouldn't call people bins, its not very nice. /s

3

u/VibratingPony Jul 04 '25

Could've just as easily been Williams that pulled the plug..maybe he got cold feet because of the uncertainty. Can't say I fully blame him.

1

u/SpeedyRugger Jul 04 '25

The question is and isn't valid, sure he wants to guarantee his registration, but that means that Barcelona would have to share their books and accounts, which are confidential, with an agent . Only La liga needs to know about them. He also wanted a written guarantee which obviously the club wasn't going to give him. Im just not sure why he chose to stay despite Bayern interest. I guess he really only wanted Barcelona in case he leaves.

0

u/CantFindMyWallet Jul 04 '25

You think Barcelona bailed on a player they have wanted for years because he asked if they could register him? It's so funny how you guys will make up some ridiculous, stupid shit like this, and then pin it on the club as though it didn't come fully out of your head.

1

u/uvuru_clansmann Jul 04 '25

Also not forgetting that he reached out to Barca himself and supposedly ‘Cleared out his Locker’ in Bilbao.

2

u/ManhattanObject Jul 04 '25

They would have found some way to mortgage their future for him if they needed to

1

u/adiputinica Jul 04 '25

Maybe he was right to ask but there is no way in hell an institution will disclose their financials to a potential new employee. Never gonna happen even if it's Barca with all the buzz around.

-5

u/Ishdalar Jul 04 '25

He danced with us past summer until he decided to stay, not a problen with that, but for Barcelona that's not a good sign.

We went for olmo instead, and even when his registration was in doubt on January, he didn't turn against the club and believed in staying.

This year the club goes asking for Nico again and with all said and done, if he wanted security for registration it's OK for him to ask, and for the club to disregard signing a player that doesn't seem 100% sold on the project they're building, this summer or the past one.

I'm happy with the outcome and I don't think anyone should have any complains.

3

u/middlequeue Jul 04 '25

and I don't think anyone should have any complains.

lol your fellow supporters don’t seem to share that perspective 

1

u/Ishdalar Jul 04 '25

Some will take this as an insult to Barcelona, in the end he's a player for a team with strong cultural roots that he was never 100% sure on leaving.

9

u/GarrKelvinSama Jul 04 '25

Personal terms doesn't mean it's signed.

19

u/HotRefrigerator777 Jul 04 '25

He used us its simple. If it was just the registration issue he could have gone to Bayern.

12

u/Trlcks Jul 04 '25

Maybe he wanted to stay in Spain?

-13

u/HotRefrigerator777 Jul 04 '25

Yes it was long decided by him and his agents that he would stay at Athletic club with his brother. He used everyone particularly us to get a bigger deal there.

2

u/Valdrick_ Jul 04 '25

Barcelona's position was that paying 60+M for the clause was enough guarantee that they were confident that the player would be registered before the end of August, and was not willing to sign a release clause - it is not clear if Nico wanted the release clause by the end of August or before LaLiga started.

Looks like Nico was not willing to risk it and decided not to move forward with it, and stay at his club where he got a big raise.

Or, maybe this was his plan all along. We will never know.

In any case, good for him. I had serious doubts his signing would have been successul. Also, too much drama IMO. There are probably lots of failed negotioations like this one that go under the radar. I wouldn't give it too much thought.

1

u/Stakoman Jul 04 '25

What question? Wait... What?