Jude Bellingham gives brutal response to news Nico Williams has snubbed a move to Barcelona in favour of Athletic Club stay

Barcelona were reportedly confident of securing his signature, believing they had convinced the player to make the switch. However, for the second consecutive year, Williams has rejected their approach, choosing to extend his stay at San Mames with a bumper 10-year deal.

Though Real Madrid weren’t active in the recent negotiations, they had previously explored the idea of bringing Williams to the Santiago Bernabeu. Earlier in the summer, the Madrid think tank considered him a viable candidate to potentially fill the boots of Rodrygo Goes, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal. However, that plan was quickly shelved when Los Blancos secured the services of highly rated Argentine prospect Franco Mastantuono.

Although Madridistas across the globe have not missed the opportunity to poke fun at their Catalan rivals for failing to land Williams, Bellingham steered clear of controversy and refused to comment on the matter. When asked by the media on Friday for his thoughts on the saga, the England international delivered a blunt response: "I don’t care. It is something that does not affect Real Madrid. So, I don’t care about it. It’s not Real Madrid news.”

Williams was reportedly on the verge of completing a £50 million (€58m/$68m) transfer to Barcelona. However, Fabrizio Romano reported that his new contract includes a staggering release clause of €100 million (£86m/$118m), a clear statement of intent from both the player and Athletic Club.

After failing to secure Williams’ signature, Barcelona have reportedly identified Liverpool's Luis Díaz and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford as alternative targets. Both players are seen as marquee-calibre additions who could slot into Hansi Flick's system on the left wing.

Whereas, away from the transfer drama, Bellingham will return to competitive action with Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup. The midfielder is expected to start on Saturday against Borussia Dortmund, his former club, in what promises to be a captivating quarterfinal clash.