Having broken the hearts of Barcelona and clubs like Arsenal and Bayern Munich who were courting him after signing a new deal with Athletic Bilbao, Nico Williams has increased the headaches of these clubs as his contractual details have started to spill out.
Softfootball elucidated how Williams signed a new juicy 8 year deal with childhood club Athletic Bilbao despite on the verge of joining Barcelona. The Spanish winger’s contract is set to cause more chaos as his release clause will increase every year he spends at Bilbao.
Fabrizo romano shared, Williams can only leave Bilbao for a fee starting from €𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐦 in 2026. As at the point of signing his new contract, Williams release clause was set at €85m which is a 50% increase from his previous €58m. This means that Barcelona who are struggling financially might not be able to sign the 22-year old next summer.
Reports from Spain say, Williams needed more financially guarantee hence his reason for signing a new contract with Bilbao.
Nico, young brother to Ghana international, Inaki Williams, will receive a potential salary of over €10m net with add-ons based on goals and assists in his new 8-year contract. There will also be add-ons based on Spanish national team call-ups, and other performances based bonuses and image right bonuses.
Barcelona were hoping to join Williams with Yamal to complete a full Spanish fly on their wings for next season.
Softfootball reported how the hearts of Barcelona and Arsenal were broken after Athletic Bilbao announced Williams’ extension. 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.
