Although the union of the talented left winger Nico Williams with FC Barcelona seemed to be on track to be completed soon, recently information has emerged suggesting that this operation is not as simple as it was thought. Firstly, Paris Saint-Germain has burst into the 'bidding' for the signing of the Pamplona native, complicating the negotiations. Secondly, Athletic Club does not seem willing to part with him this summer.
At this point, the 'Lions' are resorting to various strategies to retain the '17' of 'La Roja'. They have even launched a campaign to give Nico more prominence, in the hope that he considers staying one more year in the Basque team, where he is one of the main references in the offensive section along with his brother Iñaki.
Nico Williams' unfulfilled promise to his brother Iñaki that could motivate him to stay at Athletic
Now, the connection with his brother Iñaki could be a determining factor for Nico to decide to stay at Athletic Club next season. According to 'SPORT', the left winger would have made a promise to his older brother to play at least one season with the Bilbao team in European competitions. It should be remembered that Ernesto 'Txingurri' Valverde's team qualified for the Europa League by finishing in fifth position in LaLiga EA Sports 2023/24, a competition they had not entered since the 2017/18 campaign. In addition, in this 2024/25 season there will be the special detail that the final will be played at San Mamés, so the illusion of being able to face a European championship final at home could be the 'fuel' that feeds the desire to fulfill this promise.
This family promise could be a crucial factor in Nico's decision to stay at Athletic Club and reject offers from clubs such as FC Barcelona, PSG and Chelsea, who are interested in his services in this summer market. However, at present, it is not known with certainty how much 'weight' this promise will have in the final decision of the youngest of the Williams. In this context, his situation remains uncertain and all parties involved seem to have similar options to count on him from this 2024/25 season.