When no one expected it, the soap opera that looked set to last at least several weeks has come to an end: Nico Williams has renewed until 2035 with Athletic Club. The Spanish international has thus left Barcelona high and dry, as well as his friend Lamine Yamal, who shared several posts hinting at his national teammate in an attempt to convince him to make the trip from Bilbao to Barcelona.
First, it should be remembered that Nico Williams was Barcelona’s main target a year ago after the winger’s magnificent Euro Cup performance. The other star player in Luis de la Fuente’s team was Lamine Yamal, with both becoming leaders on the pitch for a team that won the title and generated confidence and excitement for upcoming tournaments, such as the 2026 World Cup to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Lo que más pesa es el corazón ❤️#AthleticWIN #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/do1QvtqYbP
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) July 4, 2025
Barcelona’s financial situation did not help to close the signing of Nico Williams, as Athletic claimed his release clause. Faced with these difficulties, Barcelona opted to sign Dani Olmo, who has had problems on two occasions with his registration. Finally, Joan Laporta got his way and, thanks to decisions by the Higher Sports Council, won the battle against Javier Tebas, who would not allow him to activate the former RB Leipzig player’s registration.
“I’m where I want to be.”
This summer, Barcelona’s first choice seemed to be Luis Díaz, but Nico, through his agent, informed the Blaugrana club that he was willing to swap San Mamés for the Camp Nou. Deco and the rest of the sporting management went all out for the Basque player, as he would be cheaper than the Colombian from Liverpool, but the younger of the Williams brothers wanted guarantees that he would be registered once his release clause was paid so as not to go through the same thing that happened to Dani Olmo.
And just when it seemed that Nico Williams was waiting for Barcelona, Athletic announced on social media that the Spanish international had signed a new contract until 2035. With a “when decisions have to be made, what matters most to me is my heart. I’m where I want to be, with my family. This is my home,” the Basque winger confirmed his decision to snub Barcelona, something that has not gone down well in the Catalan capital.
Lamine Yamal, à la Piqué
The excitement and optimism in Barcelona over the signing of Nico Williams was at fever pitch. In fact, Lamine Yamal, a close friend of the Athletic Club player, fueled the rumors. He did so for the first time when Félix Tainta, his friend’s agent, met with Deco. The young Barça gem shared a post on social media with his national team teammate, implying that all the information about his signing was true.
🤯 LA HISTORIA DE LAMINE YAMAL EN SU IG
¡CON NICO WILLIAMS! pic.twitter.com/ILIHp08FzZ
— Som I Serem FCB (@Somhiseremfcb) June 13, 2025
As if that weren’t enough, a few days before Nico Williams’ contract renewal, Lamine Yamal reappeared on social media to share a video of the national team in which he appeared with his friend. This post reignited the rumors and confirmed that the Basque player was getting closer to signing with Camp Nou, but now it’s all gone up in smoke because he’s turned him down.
Se queda. pic.twitter.com/RtPHUr9iTH
— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) July 23, 2017
This is very reminiscent of what happened in 2017 with Gerard Piqué and Neymar. Amidst all the rumors about the Brazilian’s departure, the Catalan shared a photo with him with a brief but direct caption: “He’s staying.” That became a meme a few days later when the former Santos player packed his bags to sign for PSG. Now a similar situation is unfolding at Can Barça with Lamine Yamal, although he has not explicitly said anything, taking Nico’s signing almost for granted… and with his friend doing the opposite.