‘He's a Formula 1’ - Agent reveals financial uncertainty and registration fears blocked Nico Williams' blockbuster Barcelona move

Barcelona made a serious attempt to sign Williams last year after initially pursuing the talented forward in 2024. The Spanish side desperately wanted to unite the winger with his close friend Yamal at club level. However, the proposed blockbuster transfer ultimately collapsed in the final stages. Williams instead committed his long-term future to Athletic Club, signing a massive contract extension that keeps him in Bilbao until 2035.

Williams' agent, Felix Tainta, recently appeared on the Los Fulanos podcast to explain exactly why the high-profile transfer fell through. He revealed that Barcelona's well-documented financial issues and highly inflated wage bill were the main stumbling blocks.

Tainta explained that the club simply could not guarantee they would be able to register the player with La Liga. This unacceptable level of uncertainty eventually forced the player's camp to walk away from the negotiating table.

"We were in talks with Barca," Tainta confirmed on the podcast. "We were discussing, then we reached a stage in the negotiations where Nico could no longer afford to stay on the sidelines."

The agent made it absolutely clear that Williams was not willing to jeopardise his promising career by moving to a club with such severe administrative problems. He demanded total certainty before agreeing to any potential switch.

"Nico is a Formula 1 and if I come to your house, I don't have to take on your problem," Tainta continued. "That's what I made Barca understand. We decided that if there weren't certain guarantees, we couldn't take the risk of Nico going there and not playing.

"Regardless of whether there was a World Cup on the horizon - which there was - or not. He is a professional who needs to be able to do his job."

Williams is now fully focused on his duties with Athletic Club following his massive contract extension. He will look to drive his team up the league table and continue adding to his goal tally in the coming months. This season, Williams has scored one goal in six Liga appearances. The Bilbao club is currently preparing to face Valencia at the Mestalla this weekend, though it remains to be seen whether the Spanish forward will feature, as he has recently been dealing with a muscle issue.