Nico Williams, the star of Athletic Bilbao, has delivered a blow to Barcelona, who were eager to acquire his services this summer. Barcelona was awaiting Williams' response to their offer to contract him during the current summer transfer window, and if the player had agreed, the club would have activated the release clause in his contract with Athletic Bilbao.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Marca," Nico Williams has declined to leave Bilbao for the third consecutive time and will continue the next season wearing the colors of the Basque team. It pointed out that Williams is convinced that Bilbao is the right place for his development, aiming to become one of the best players in the world.
Williams believes that he still has a long way to go for his development, and it is easier to achieve this in a familiar and supportive environment like Athletic Bilbao. It was clarified that Williams dreams of participating in European competitions with Bilbao, which he will achieve next season when the team plays in the Europa League.
The report mentioned that Williams was not swayed by the enticing offers he received from Aston Villa, Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona, despite these offers being more lucrative than his current salary in Bilbao. It revealed that Bilbao does not offer low salaries to its prominent players; rather, they often earn more than many stars in other clubs in La Liga.
"Marca" stated that Williams feels a sense of belonging to Bilbao, which he joined during his youth in the 2013-14 season from Osasuna, and he views the club as his second family.
