Barcelona were not heavily active in the transfer market when it came to new signings. They signed Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig in a marquee deal and pulled off a coup with Pau Victor’s signing from Girona.
One player that they were heavily linked with throughout the summer was Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. President Joan Laporta came out during the saga and made a bold statement that Barcelona can afford a signing of the 22-year-old’s magnitude this summer.
However, he changed his tone a few weeks later, suggesting that Barcelona would ‘try‘ to sign the Euro 2024 star. Ultimately, the club not only failed to sign the 22-year-old but also struggled to register Dani Olmo for La Liga.
One can only imagine the meltdown that would have panned out had Barcelona signed Nico this summer. How they would have registered him is anyone’s guess. This has left fans with a sour taste in their mouth and a general lack of trust in the president’s words.
Ex-presidential candidate Victor Font who was pipped to the hot seat by Laporta has not missed the chance to take shots at the club’s current management. As quoted by SPORT, Font has hit out at the current Barcelona president for misleading fans in the Nico saga. Here is what he had to say:
“I knew from the start that they were deceiving us with Nico Williams and that there were exercises in voluntarism. An interview of mine came out in foreign media where the headline was: ‘Barça cannot sign Nico Williams’. And well! The opinions that came out of there… But why? Because people believe the club’s story. But after they have promised us something ‘X’ times and it is not fulfilled, then it will happen like in the tale of the shepherd and the ears, that the people will no longer go”
Nico Williams’ operation to Barcelona was expected to cost €65m for the club this summer, with Athletic Bilbao expecting the Catalan club to pay his release clause in one go. In hindsight, it’s good the club did not make a move for the €70m-rated star.
Barcelona have made the perfect start to La Liga with four wins from four games. Raphinha has emerged as a hero for Hansi Flick’s team and he might not have even started for the club had they signed Nico this summer.
The 22-year-old on the other hand is still struggling to recover his best form after the Euros. He is yet to score or assist for Bilbao this season and looked off-color for Spain in their recent games. Let’s see how Nico’s career pans out from here and if the club make a move for him in subsequent summers.
