FC Barcelona came up empty-handed for the second time. This was their second attempt to sign Nico Williams, but it seems the train has already left the station for the Spanish international. The team appears to have taken a definitive stance regarding the Athletic Club player after a saga that ended without benefits for either side.

Barcelona grew "tired" of Nico Williams

According to the Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, negotiations date back to June 13, when Nico Williams’ agent, Félix Tainta, approached Deco to express that his player wanted to resume talks to wear the Blaugrana jersey.

Everything seemed promising, with the offer representing a chance to sign a player six years younger than Luis Díaz (the team’s other option). All that was needed was to pay a release clause without negotiating with the club, as a six-year contract with an agreed salary had already been set the previous year. However, things changed when verbal agreements and other details came into play.

According to sources cited by the outlet, Nico’s agent requested a free release clause in case of non-registration, a detail not anticipated in prior discussions. This is a clause that neither Dani Olmo nor Joan Garcia have.

The signing hit a roadblock

Barcelona’s response was a firm “no,” and seeing that the deal wasn’t progressing, the Blaugrana club set a deadline. The agent had until June 28 to accept the conditions, or the transfer would fall through. The player’s inner circle insisted on the release clause.

Ultimately, the deadline passed, and Luis Díaz returned to Barcelona’s radar. The signing of Nico Williams was officially off as of June 30, and in parallel, the club informed the Colombian that their interest in him remained.

The same report reveals that some Athletic Club players, including Nico’s brother Iñaki Williams, were not keen on the idea of him joining Barcelona. Although the matter was closed on June 28, Nico personally reached out to the club to express continued interest, provided there were guarantees.

Barcelona had enough

Barcelona made it clear that a release clause would not be included, delivering a final response to Nico Williams, and asked him to stop “confusing” the squad’s players. This condition was non-negotiable, so they demanded a definitive decision from Nico, which turned out to be a refusal after discussions with his family and agent.

In the end, Nico Williams chose to renew with Athletic Club until 2035. The issue is that the player negotiated this contract in parallel while being linked to Barcelona, as a 10-year contract isn’t finalized in a single day.

The train has left for Nico, who will not play alongside Lamine Yamal at Barcelona.