Latest news with #DaniOlmo
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Another Barcelona star sends defiant message after Nico Williams rejection
A headline member of the attacking ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona has responded to news of the club being rejected by chief transfer target Nico Williams. The subject of Nico's shock Blaugrana snub has of course dominated the headlines across Spain over the last 24 hours. Advertisement As much comes after the 22-year-old, despite having agreed to the terms of a contract at the Camp Nou, put pen to paper on a new long-term extension with Athletic Club. The news has since been met by a whole wave of reactions, with Dani Olmo, for one, having quickly taken to social media to make clear his unwavering commitment to the cause in Hansi Flick's squad: And as alluded to above, Olmo has since been joined in as much by fellow Barca standout Raphinha. In a post on his official Instagram account, wide-man Raphinha unveiled a photo of himself on the pitch, pointing to the Blaugrana crest: Conor Laird – GSFN
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona dressing room ‘surprised' by Nico Williams transfer U-turn
On Friday, Athletic Club announced the renewal of Nico Williams' contract until 2035, as FC Barcelona were left in frustration for the second summer in a row. After all, the 22-year-old winger turned his back on the Blaugrana again, after agreeing on a six-year contract, with the club already prepared to trigger his €62 million release clause. Advertisement Barcelona locker room surprised Now, according to SPORT, the news of Nico Williams' sudden U-turn came as a surprise in the Barcelona dressing room. While personal relationships have not suffered – Nico remains on good terms with Lamine Yamal – there is a sense of disappointment due to the change in narrative. During the national team camp, the Athletic Club winger had repeatedly stressed his desire to join Barcelona. No team-up at Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Bierens) Indeed, during the Spanish national team camp in June, Nico approached the likes of Lamine, Dani Olmo, Pau Cubarsi, and Pedri and repeatedly told them that this year, he would wear the Blaugrana shirt. Advertisement As such, several players believed the deal was done and even spoke publicly in his favour. However, the change in plans, although respected, upset some Barça players, as seen in the reactions on social media from players such as Dani Olmo and Raphinha. What next for Barcelona? With Nico Williams snubbing them for a second summer in a row, Barcelona have decided to close the doors on a move for the 22-year-old forever. Meanwhile, the La Liga champions have reactivated their interest in Liverpool winger Luis Diaz and Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford in their bid to strengthen the left flank. It remains to be seen who among the two arrives or whether Barça explore a different alternative altogether with still plenty of time left in the summer window.
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why Nico Williams' Barcelona transfer collapsed: The full story
Nico Williams' transfer to Barcelona broke down because the player wanted an exit clause inserted into his contract in case they could not register him — and the Catalan club refused. With key personal terms already verbally agreed, the deal was sunk when the 22-year-old's representatives made the request and Barcelona's sporting director Deco said the club would not sanction it, despite having done so with other signings in the recent past, including Dani Olmo. Advertisement Williams' camp wanted a guarantee that Barca would be able to register him to be eligible to play by August 20, just after the first La Liga matchday of 2025-26. Barca have often struggled to register new signings in time for the season start in recent years — with Olmo's only secured thanks to a court ruling last term. This development, late on Thursday, was just one of several twists in a long-running transfer saga, one that significantly raised the temperature in an already tense relationship between Barca and Athletic Club. Williams himself, meanwhile, faced personal abuse and recrimination as negotiations brought him to the brink of a €58million move (£50m; $68.3m) — before it ultimately all collapsed. When on Friday morning news emerged of Williams' decision to commit to a new 10-year contract at Athletic, with a higher release clause, it caused shock among several members of the Barca first team, some of whom are among Williams' best friends in the game. Club senior executives found out about the news through social media, with Athletic's video announcing the deal hastily filmed with Williams the night before. It was a truly dramatic turnaround that appeared to many to come out of nowhere. Here, informed by sources at both Athletic and Barca, as well as those close to the player (all of whom requested to contribute anonymously so they could speak freely), is the full story behind what happened. Barcelona first came in for Williams last summer. Athletic were unhappy with their interest. Williams had that €58million release clause in his contract so, after starring in Spain's European Championship victory, there would always be suitors but the Basque club could not get their heads around how Barca, with their troubled finances, could be in a position to take away their most precious talent. Advertisement Ultimately, Williams stayed at Athletic. Barcelona signed Dani Olmo in a €60million deal with RB Leipzig. And the complications they had getting Olmo registered would play a key part in what happened between Williams and Barca this week. Last season, Olmo was only registered in time to play in La Liga over 2024-25 because Barca took advantage of a loophole in the rules. Because Barca were spending more than they were allowed to on wages (they were breaking La Liga's salary limit, which are calculated for each club according to their income) the competition body restricted their registration of new signings. However, Barca managed to get Olmo registered because of a regulation that allows clubs cover for injured players. With Andreas Christensen ruled out, they replaced his registration with Olmo's — temporarily. That emergency measure was valid only until January, when more drama unfolded. When Christensen returned, with Barca still in breach of La Liga's salary rules, La Liga de-registered Olmo. An unprecedented move then followed. Barca had the situation overturned via a Spanish government intervention. It did not escape Athletic's attention. On January 8, Athletic and Barca were about to face each other in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final in Saudi Arabia when Joan Laporta and his team received confirmation that Olmo (and Pau Victor, who was in the same boat) would now be eligible to play. Seeing the Barca president boasting and celebrating that decision in the executive box during the game is a scene that has been stuck in the minds of several members of Athletic's board. When Olmo joined Barca, a clause was inserted into his contract allowing him to leave for free if Barca failed to register him. When he was de-registered by La Liga in early January, he could have decided to activate it. He could have left for nothing. Advertisement He decided to stay, and Barca were ultimately able to get him back into the squad. Because of the government ruling, made by Spain's Higher Sports Council (Consejo Superior de Deportes), Olmo is now registered for the duration of his contract, which runs until 2030. Other players signed by Barcelona in recent years have had a similar clause included in their contracts. They include Ilkay Gundogan, when he arrived shortly before Olmo in 2024, and Jules Kounde, who transferred from Sevilla in 2022. Barcelona's summer transfer windows have been beset by problems over the registration of new players since that year, and La Liga president Javier Tebas said on Tuesday that Barca are still not compliant with their spending rules. New signing Joan Garcia has not yet been registered. This is where we come back to Nico Williams. At the start of June, Barcelona approached Liverpool to discuss the signing of Luis Diaz. Their interest was rebuffed, but news of that move encouraged the Williams camp to reach Barca and ask if they were willing to discuss his signing instead. The Catalans agreed to put Williams as their top priority, as senior figures including president Laporta saw it as a humbling gesture from the 22-year-old winger. Before that, Laporta had been against the idea of trying again for Williams because he believed he did not show enough commitment last summer, when Barca were keen for the first time. Williams' agent met with Barcelona officials on June 13 to communicate that the winger would be willing to join them, assuming registration in La Liga could be guaranteed. Ten days later, Barcelona's sporting director Deco said in an interview with La Vanguardia that they were interested in Williams, and that they would try to complete his signing. By June 23, Williams himself told Athletic of his intentions to join Barca. Athletic reacted by releasing a club statement on June 26, complaining about Barca officials openly speaking about signing their player. It detailed how Jon Uriarte, the Athletic president, met with La Liga counterpart Tebas to request that the competition body scrutinise Barca's standing with the salary limit rules. Advertisement 'Athletic Club want to thank La Liga for their availability and clarity shown in a meeting that took place yesterday,' the statement read. 'Among the subjects discussed was Barcelona's capacity for signing new players. Athletic Club had a legitimate interest after sporting director Deco publicly recognised they will try to sign one of our players who is under contract until 2027.' Barcelona didn't appreciate that, and Laporta spoke at a public event that same week, urging Athletic to 'respectfully, take care of their own business and not look into others'. In this tense atmosphere, negotiations between Williams and Barca continued. The €58million release clause, to be paid in one instalment, was not a problem according to Barca sources. They said the money was prepared but the fee would not be paid after June 30 — when the financial year ends in Spain. Barca planned to count William's signing on next season's budget, but before paying his release clause they needed the player's full consent. In Spain, the procedure with the payment of release clauses forces the player in question, or their representatives, to deposit the money at La Liga's headquarters in Madrid. Williams and Barcelona have been in talks over the past week to reach this point and they failed to do so, ultimately because of the exit clause. The player's camp insisted on including one, and stressed that they had other clubs such as Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Athletic Club willing to offer a suitable deal. Deco rejected the request. He promised Williams' representatives, on his word, that the winger would be successfully registered by the end of the summer transfer window, but he did not want to risk the disaster of losing a €58million asset for free. Sources with knowledge of the situation said Deco suffered a lot last season with the Olmo registration saga and it was something he was not willing to go through with the Williams deal. Further to this, Barcelona sources said they felt the club had already shown good grace by returning to speak with Williams after their experience last summer. Advertisement Still, on Wednesday night, Barca's board members were still confident the deal would go through. They believed Williams' wish to join them would smooth the issues being discussed. They were wrong. Lo que más pesa es el corazón ❤️#AthleticWIN #AthleticClub 🦁 — Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) July 4, 2025 On Thursday evening, Williams was back in Bilbao, having returned from holiday. There, he was filmed for the social media content that would announce his contract extension with Athletic Club. In the late hours of that night, the club prepared a trip to a mural of the Williams brothers in the city. Nico's portrait had been defaced three times over the last three weeks — with Athletic having it redone each time. In the footage, Williams writes the word 'WIN 2035' in spray paint on a wall that was recently vandalised with insults. Athletic had it removed straight after the recording so as not to hint at any developments before their public announcement. Barcelona executives learnt about Williams' decision to stay at Athletic through this video on social media. So too did the vast majority of their players. Some of them could not understand what had happened, as Williams' imminent arrival was taken for granted — conversations about what shirt number he would take had already been held. Athletic had been sounding Williams out over an extension for months. With this new contract, he becomes the best-paid player in their history — with a salary in the region of €10million a year, after tax. That is significantly more than what Barcelona offered, although Athletic have a favourable platform in that regard. The Basque Country, and specifically the Bizkaia province of which Bilbao is the capital, has its own rules when it comes to taxation on footballer's salaries. Athletes benefit from a reduced rate as the local government considers their working years shorter than any other regular worker. Eduard Romeu, a former financial vice president at Barcelona under Laporta, spoke about it last week in an interview with local radio station RAC1: 'With their taxation rules compared to the ones in Catalonia, Nico Williams would be 40 per cent more expensive for Barcelona than he is for Athletic Club,' he said. Advertisement But the Williams transfer saga is now over, and Barca must think what to do next. Club figures expect them to return to their initial plan for bolstering the left-wing role: with the names of Luis Diaz and Marcus Rashford to be discussed. Diaz is Deco's preferred option and will surely become a top priority for the sporting director — although the financial dimension, among other elements, can be expected to be difficult. Rashford would be a more affordable option, with Manchester United looking to offload him. The 27-year-old also favours a move abroad and Barca sources believe he'd be willing to join either on loan and on a reduced salary, potentially. Either way, significant action can be expected from Barcelona soon. They need to find new momentum after this latest setback. (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton/The Athletic)
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona long-term target spotted with Dani Olmo enjoying holidays together
Barcelona are working hard to finalise the signing of Nico Williams, who has become their top target for the left wing. His arrival is looking closer than ever, and fans are excited about the deal. However, reports linking Barcelona with Liverpool's Luis Diaz have also created a lot of buzz. Advertisement Even though many supporters would love to see the Colombian star at the club, the truth is that Barcelona are very unlikely to go after him if they secure Nico. That said, there is still some tension because Athletic Club are not making things easy for Barça in the Nico deal. If something unexpected happens and the transfer falls through, Barcelona could turn to Diaz as a backup plan. His skill, pace, and ability to play on either wing have always been admired by the club's decision-makers. Diaz's meetup with Dani Olmo Right now, Diaz is taking a break and spending time with his family. He has travelled to Ibiza, one of the favourite holiday spots for many footballers. Luis Diaz has been spotted with Dani Olmo. (Picture credit: X/@ToqueSports) Advertisement According to reports, he was seen there with Dani Olmo, who is also enjoying his vacation. Diaz recently got married and is making the most of his time off before the season starts again. Earlier this summer, Barcelona seriously considered signing Diaz to strengthen their attack on the left. His talent and versatility made him a perfect fit for the style Barça want to play under Hansi Flick. But Liverpool's high asking price and the opportunity to sign Nico changed everything. Now, Barcelona's focus is fully on closing the Nico deal. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, who missed out on Nico, have shifted their attention to Diaz. They are now favourites to sign the Colombian if he leaves Liverpool. While Barça's interest has cooled, Diaz's future remains uncertain as clubs across Europe watch his situation closely.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nico Williams' signing will move 2 Barcelona stars to new positions
The expected arrival of Athletic Club star Nico Williams at Barcelona is set to have a major impact when it comes to the attacking setup in Hansi Flick's squad. That's according to , who have this weekend provided an insight into the situation. Wide-man Nico's name is of course back front and centre on the agenda at Barcelona with a view to next season. After sitting down for a fresh round of talks with the 22-year-old's agent last week, the Blaugrana have since secured an agreement on the terms of a contract. And as alluded to above, should a Camp Nou switch ultimately be forthcoming for Nico, a knock-on effect is expected in Barcelona's squad. As per the aforementioned MD, the Spanish international is primed to take his place on the left flank in the Blaugrana's XI. As much will culminate in Raphinha moving into a more central role, behind the striker. Not only that, but Dani Olmo, who currently occupies the attacking midfield spot in Hansi Flick's first-choice line-up, will likely be pushed forward into a 'false 9' role. This comes with Robert Lewandowski, as the season wears on, expected to see a reduction in game time ahead of the expiration of his contract terms next summer. Conor Laird – GSFN
