"Nico Williams is not the player we need. His agent approached us himself" - Deco on the failed transfer of Nico Williams to Barcelona
Barcelona was searching for a completely different type of player.
Details: Barcelona sporting director Deco, in an interview with MundoDeportivo, shared the inside story of the situation surrounding the potential transfer of Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams:
"We were never pursuing Nico Williams. In fact, it was his agent who reached out to us several times, not the other way around. Athletic should ask his representative why these rumors started. To be honest, the player himself didn't really fit the profile we were looking for.
We set the terms and parameters of any deal ourselves. After that, the negotiations need to be put in writing. And we made it clear: imposed conditions will not be accepted, because no footballer can dictate terms to the club." Deco stated.
This past summer, media reports were swirling that the 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger was on the verge of joining Barcelona, but ultimately the transfer never materialized, and Williams signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao until 2035.
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Last season, Williams played 45 matches for Bilbao, scoring 15 goals and providing 7 assists. His market value is estimated by Transfermarkt at 70 million euros.
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