The transfer of Nico Williams from Athletic to Barcelona did not go through because the player demanded a clause in the contract allowing him to leave if registration was not possible, which the Catalan club refused, according to The Athletic.
The source indicates that key contract terms were verbally agreed upon, but the deal fell apart after the 22-year-old's representatives requested a clause that Barcelona sporting director Deco rejected.
It was noted that Barcelona had previously accepted similar conditions when signing other players, such as Dani Olmo.
Nico Williams' camp sought guarantees that Barcelona would be able to register him for matches by August 20 – just after the first round of La Liga for the 2025/2026 season. They referenced interest from other clubs, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Athletic, which were ready to offer favorable terms.
However, sporting director Deco declined, assuring that Nico Williams would be registered by the end of the transfer window but did not want to take any risks.
Shortly after, it was revealed that Nico Williams had extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao until the summer of 2035.
