Nico Williams explains why he preferred Athletic Club stay amid 'approaches from many clubs' for Barcelona target

After several impressive performances in the European Championship with Spain, Williams caught the attention of several European sides, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Arsenal. However, Athletic Club stood firm, refusing to entertain offers for their prized forward and after a summer full of speculation and uncertainty, Williams stayed at the Basque club.

Williams has been nurtured in Athletic's academy and since his childhood, the forward has dreamt of representing the club on the European stage. Following the team's fifth-place finish in La Liga last season they have secured a berth in the Europa League, UEFA's second-tier club competition, and Williams remains determined to go deep in the tournament.

In an interview with Dazn, Williams spoke candidly about the transfer speculation and his decision to remain at Athletic.

"It's always flattering to know that big teams have you on their agenda," Williams said. "But I've always been clear that I wanted to be here. Athletic is a different feeling that you don't get at other clubs. I'm really looking forward to doing things well at this club."

Williams also addressed the numerous offers he received, explaining that his agent handled those discussions, but his loyalty to Athletic never wavered.

"The truth is that that is a matter for my agent," he said. "There were approaches from many clubs. My heart is with Athletic. I have a contract here, but who knows what will happen in the future. I wanted to stay here because playing in Europe with Athletic was what I was most excited about."

The 2024-25 Europa League final will be staged at San Mames and if Williams can inspire Athletic in that competition he can potentially lift the trophy on home turf.

Williams will shift his focus to international football as Spain are slated to play Serbia and Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League on September 5 and 8 respectively. Following his commitments with La Roja, he will travel to the Canaries with Athletic to take on Las Palmas on September 15.