Joan Laporta blames Deco for Nico Williams debacle as Barcelona president insists he wanted Luis Diaz or Marcus Rashford ahead of Athletic Club star

Despite heavy speculation linking him with a move to Camp Nou, the transfer collapsed after the terms presented by his agent failed to match earlier promises. The 23-year-old has since extended his contract with Athletic Club until 2035, with a significantly increased release clause rising from €58 million (£49m/$66m) to over €95m (£80m/$108m).

The Catalan giants were exploring options to sign a new winger throughout the summer. Laporta now insists that his preferred targets were Liverpool star Diaz and Manchester United outcast Rashford, who has since joined the club, but that sporting director Deco convinced him to listen to Williams' agent before the deal eventually broke down.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, the Barca president said: "The signing of Luis Diaz was complicated and we were in the middle of negotiations with Rashford, but Nico Williams' agent came to us offering the possibility of signing him. Deco told me that we had to listen to the proposal from Nico Williams' agent. My priority, in principle, was Luis Díaz or Rashford. In these cases, I always trust the sporting directors, who told me that we had to listen to what he was proposing."

He added: "There was a big difference between what we were told and what actually happened in terms of payment terms, the agent's commission... a whole series of variables that indicated the deal wouldn't happen. Deco set a 48-hour deadline because if they didn't accept our terms, we wouldn't go through with the deal, and ultimately, the deal fell through," he concluded.

With Willams now staying at Athletic and Rashford’s move to Barcelona confirmed, the club will likely move forward with their current winger setup. They open the 2025-26 La Liga campaign with an away game against Mallorca.