Nico Williams has confirmed he rejected offers from Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal to stay at Athletic Club.

The Spain international made the revelation after Athletic’s 4-0 win over Getafe at San Mamés on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Speaking about his future, Williams said he had never doubted his desire to stay in Bilbao, despite interest from several leading European clubs.

His comments also addressed the recent controversy surrounding his representative, Félix Tainta, who discussed why Barcelona’s attempt to sign the winger fell through in 2025.

Williams disagreed with his agent’s account and insisted that the decision to stay was made by him and his family.

Williams disputes agent’s account of Barcelona talks

Tainta said Barcelona could not guarantee that Williams would be registered to play in LaLiga. His concern was that the winger could complete a move to Camp Nou only to find himself unable to play regularly.

Williams pushed back against that version of events; he told Spanish newspaper AS that his agent had got it wrong and that his family had made the final decision.

“Félix was wrong in what he said. Things are not like that. The final decision is made by me, my brother and my family. Only the three of us know what happens at home,” Williams said.

The 24-year-old was equally clear about the interest he had received from elsewhere.

“I said no to Barcelona, Arsenal, PSG and many others because I wanted to stay here.”

He maintains that remaining at Athletic was his own choice, made with the support of his parents and his older brother, Iñaki Williams, who is also his teammate. The forward started against Getafe but did not get on the scoresheet.

Álex Berenguer opened the scoring before Iñaki Williams, Aitor Paredes, and Yuri Berchiche added the other goals to complete a comfortable home win.

Why Barcelona’s 2025 move collapsed

Barcelona’s pursuit of Williams intensified by June 2025. BBC Sport reported that the club had agreed personal terms with the winger, but a deal was still not guaranteed.

The main issue was registration. Williams’ camp reportedly wanted a contractual guarantee that would allow him to leave if Barcelona could not register him. The club refused to agree to those terms, and talks stalled.

Tainta later cited that uncertainty as a major reason the move fell through. Athletic moved quickly to secure his future.

On 4 July 2025, the club announced a new contract running until June 2035, with his release clause increased by more than 50 per cent, according to the official announcement.

The new deal strengthened Athletic’s position in any future negotiations, making it more difficult for interested clubs to sign Williams without meeting his release clause.