Barcelona did not intend to allow the Nico Williams saga to drag out this long. As recently as last week, it appeared the two sides had an agreement in place, and all that was left was to finalize personal terms.
Now, the club is more pessimistic about their ideal signing than ever before, as Williams is heavily considering remaining at Athletic Club Bilbao for at least one more year.
According to multiple Spanish outlets, Nico made a promise to his family and to his brother Inaki, that he’d stay at Bilbao for at least one more season to compete in the Europa League together, after the Williams brothers led Athletic to their first top-five finish in nearly a decade.
The Williams’ brotherly connection was one of football’s most heartwarming stories last year, and while the pair could build on last year’s success and aim for even higher heights, Barcelona have made their stance clear; they won’t wait for the player to make a move next summer.
It’s now or never for a Nico Williams move to Barca — and Cules should be pleased with that positioning from their club. Amidst their internal turmoil, accumulated over multiple financially irresponsible seasons, the Barcelona board have felt pressure to land a home-run signing in order to relieve some temporary stress. The decision not to chase Nico Williams signifies that a new era is upon us.
With Hansi Flick in charge, Barca look to have more of a structure and identity in place. His early utilization of some key La Masia products like Marc Casado and Pablo Torre indicates his commitment to developing a complete squad.
Barcelona’s youth camp has produced some extraordinary talents, with Lamine Yamal being the most recent star boy to hail from La Masia. So it’s refreshing to watch, as Hansi Flick actively scouts some of Barca’s brightest prospects and identifies ways to incorporate their individual strengths on the fly.
Barcelona are still in the hunt for Nico Williams, make no mistake about it. There is a dire need for depth at the wing positions and the addition of such a skilled attacker would open up countless opportunities. However, the Spanish giants won’t wait, and they’re willing to let the Williams ship sail if it must.