Nico Williams has committed his future to Athletic Club by signing a contract extension until 2035, turning down interest from La Liga champions Barcelona.
The 22-year-old winger rejected a move to Barcelona, which had reached a verbal agreement to sign him in June. The Athletic have confirmed the new deal, increasing Williams’ release clause by 50 percent to €90 million (£75m).
Williams expressed his loyalty to Athletic, saying, “I am where I want to be, with my people. This is my home. Aupa Athletic!” The announcement featured a video of Williams spray-painting a mural of himself and his brother Iñaki, marking the contract extension.
Several top clubs, including Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, showed interest in Williams. However, Athletic’s president Jon Uriarte emphasized the club’s ability to retain key players, calling the club “financially, socially and sportingly capable” of keeping talents like Williams.
A product of Athletic’s academy, Williams made his senior debut in April 2020 and has since made 167 appearances, scoring 31 goals and providing 30 assists. Internationally, he earned 28 caps for Spain since his debut in September 2022. He was part of Spain’s squad for the 2022 World Cup and played a key role in their 2024 European Championship victory.
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