Last year it was a rumor. This year it will be a reality. As much as Javier Tebas dislikes it, who keeps saying Barça aren't in a position to register more players, Nico Williams will be an FC Barcelona player. Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed it on social media, and sources from both clubs haven't denied the news.
Joan Laporta will pay the release clause of about 60 million euros, and therefore, he won't negotiate with Athletic Club. Likewise, Williams will sign until 2031 and will have a salary of 7-8 million euros per season. The agreement is total.
Some sources claim that from San Mamés they would have offered him a similar amount, but the player has prioritized playing alongside his friend Lamine Yamal and being able to lift trophies. He is a perfect forward to complete a perfect attacking line formed by Lamine himself, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, or Ferran Torres.
social media don't agree
While part of Barcelona fans celebrate the decision to sign Nico Williams, another part of the club's supporters reject it, arguing that only eleven can play. It's difficult for Nico to arrive as a substitute, and it will be hard to bench footballers like Robert Lewandowski or Raphinha. Moreover, if Dani Olmo and Fermín López already had a secondary role, will they be even more secondary?
"Am I the only one who sees problems? Someone is unnecessary, Nico won't come to be a substitute, you can't bench Raphinha and the only idea is to put him inside, but then why did Olmo come? Is Fermín going to be the substitute's substitute? This smells to me like it's going to end a bit badly", points out a user in this regard who replies to Fabrizio Romano.
nico williams, a great player
Nico Williams, whose full name is Nicholas Williams Arthuer, was born on July 12, 2002, in Pamplona. Since he was a child, he showed a special talent for soccer and very soon began to stand out in teams from his hometown.
He went through the youth ranks of CA Osasuna, but his life changed in 2013 when Athletic Club de Bilbao's academy set their sights on him. That's how a meteoric rise began within Lezama, Athletic's youth training center.
His first experience in semi-professional teams was with the reserve team Basconia, with whom he played some matches in the 2019-2020 season. He quickly climbed the ranks, and the following campaign he was already one of the most promising players of Bilbao Athletic, the Segunda B team. There, in just one season, he scored 9 goals in 24 matches, something very unusual for such a young winger.
The leap to the first team came in April 2021, officially debuting in La Liga in a match against Real Valladolid. From that moment, Nico kept adding minutes and gaining confidence, first under Marcelino and then with Ernesto Valverde. In the 2021-22 season, he began to have more prominence, scoring his first goals both in the Copa del Rey and in the Spanish Super Cup. He soon signed his first professional contract, securing his link to Athletic for several seasons.
During 2022-23, Nico Williams definitely established himself as a starter, making a place for himself on the left wing and becoming one of the most unbalancing players on the team. His dribbling ability, speed, and skills made him a regular in attacking plays.
That same season he also experienced difficult moments, such as media pressure and criticism on social media, which even led him to take a break from his online activity. However, Nico showed maturity and kept growing on the field.
One of the most important moments of his career came in April 2024, when he was key in the Copa del Rey final by assisting in the decisive goal. Athletic Club thus achieved their first major title in 40 years, and Nico was chosen as the best player of the match.
By then, he had already renewed his contract until 2027, securing his future at the club. In the 2024-25 season, he played close to 30 league matches, scoring 5 goals, and also excelled in European competitions with 5 goals in 13 Conference and Europa League matches. His overall record with Athletic, up to mid-2025, is 167 official matches and 31 goals across all competitions.
As for his international career, Nico Williams debuted with the Spanish senior national team in September 2022 in a match against Switzerland. Previously, he had played for the under-18 and under-21 teams. He was drafted for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he played four matches, and his definitive breakthrough came at Euro 2024.
In that tournament, he was chosen MVP in the match against Italy, scored in the knockout round against Georgia, and opened the scoring in the final against England, also being chosen as the best player of the match and helping Spain to be crowned European champions. Up to June 2025, he has played 28 matches and scored 6 goals with the senior national team.