Barcelona has been dealt a transfer blow as Nico Williams has signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao until the summer of 2035, ending the La Liga giants’ hopes of signing the Spaniard this summer.
With the contract extension, Williams’s release clause, which was reportedly set at €58 million, will be increased by more than 50 percent.
For the second successive summer, the Spain international’s future has been the subject of much speculation, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool among the clubs linked with his signature.
This was expected to be the transfer window that Williams moved on, with Barcelona seemingly making progress when it came to a deal for the 22-year-old.
However, Athletic announced on Friday morning that Williams has penned a new contract until 2035, while his release clause of €116m (£100m).
💥 Nico Williams renueva con el Athletic Club hasta 2035.
El extremo rojiblanco se vincula al club de su corazón durante las próximas diez temporadas y su cláusula de rescisión aumenta más de un 50%. #NicoWilliams2035 #AthleticWIN 🦁
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) July 4, 2025
“Nico Williams renews his contract with Athletic Club until 2035. The red and white winger is linked to the club of his heart for the next ten seasons, and his release clause increases by more than 50% of what it had,” read a statement from the club.
Athletic continued in their statement:
“The step forward Nico Williams has taken with this renewal fills the entire Athletic Club family with pride and paints a picture of a future as ambitious as it is exciting.
This is the famous Athletic, the famous Athletic Club.”
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, registration issues prevented Barcelona from completing a deal, while he is also thought to have turned down a concrete offer from Bayern.
Williams has scored 31 goals and registered 30 assists in 167 appearances for Athletic in all competitions, including 11 goals and seven assists in 45 appearances last term, and he will play in the Champions League for the club in 2025-26.
Recall, Softfootball had previously reported that Luis Figo had urged Real Madrid to hijack Barcelona’s move for Nico Williams.
Luis Figo had thrown his weight behind Real Madrid in the race to sign Nico Williams, urging the Spanish giants to act fast and hijack Barcelona’s pursuit of the Athletic Bilbao winger. The former Ballon d’Or winner described Williams as a “gem” and believes his €58m (£49.5m) release clause is a bargain by modern standards.
Nico Williams has already turned heads at Euro 2024 and has become a hot commodity across Europe. Arsenal are also eyeing the Spanish international as part of their wide-forward shortlist, alongside Chelsea’s Noni Madueke and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.
