How Barcelona's tricky request to Nico Williams led to the collapse of the transfer

Yahoo

2 days ago

One of the biggest transfer stories of this summer is the failed attempt of Barcelona to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Club for the second year in a row.
Everything appeared to be on track for the 23-year-old attacker to join the La Liga champions, with a contract agreement in place. However, a sudden U-turn saw Nico snub Barça again and sign a long-term contract with Athletic.
The Blaugrana were furious with the player and his agent, Felix Tainta, holding him to blame for the collapse of the transfer, as he kept insisting on written registration guarantees.
Barcelona encouraged Nico to change his agent
Now, according to SPORT, a Barcelona official encouraged Nico Williams to change agents – to leave Felix Tainta and link up with Jorge Mendes or Pini Zahavi, which triggered a breakdown in negotiations.
Tainta is a well-established figure in the Basque football scene. Apart from Nico, he represents several other Athletic Club players, including his brother Inaki, and maintains a close relationship with the Williams family.
It must be remembered that Tainta was the key figure in reopening discussions with Barcelona over a move for Nico, through a meeting with Deco.
Barcelona were quick to re-enter the race to sign the Spaniard. Despite initial doubts, it was club president Joan Laporta who gave the green light. With his approval, Deco began working to advance the deal.
Barcelona missed out on Nico Williams again. (Photo by Ion)
The Barcelona director met several times with Tainta to push negotiations forward, but eventually, progress stalled.
Tainta had an offer on the table from Barça for Nico, but was also considering the possibility of his client staying at Athletic Club, who had made an improved contract offer.
A risky move that bacfkired
As the situation dragged on, the Blaugrana grew nervous – especially with a medical already scheduled in a Barcelona hospital for Nico.
Barcelona attributed the impasse to Tainta's stance. Frustrated, a senior figure at the club reached out directly to Nico in an attempt to break the deadlock.
The content of the message, sent via WhatsApp, was clear: 'Leave Tainta and have Jorge Mendes or Pini Zahavi represent you.'
The suggestion quickly reached the entire Williams family, and the response was one of deep indignation and outrage, given their long-standing relationship with Tainta.
Under Laporta, Barcelona have consistently preferred to negotiate with agents considered close to the club, most notably Mendes and Zahavi.
However, the Williams family wanted no part of that strategy. As such, negotiations collapsed, and the relationship between the player's camp and the club was left in pieces.
Nico and his family finalised a contract renewal with Athletic Club that same evening, recorded the announcement video later that night, and made it official the next morning.