Barcelona President Joan Laporta shuts door on Nico Williams

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has ruled out a move for Nico Williams, signaling a clear change in the club’s transfer direction.

“Nico Williams was one of our transfer targets [last summer]. In the end, we decided to go for Dani Olmo,” Laporta said.

“At the moment, I think the sporting management is considering other options,” he added.

His remarks confirm that the Catalan giants are no longer pursuing the talented Athletic Club winger, once seen as a key part of Hansi Flick’s project.

Barcelona had held advanced talks with Williams, but financial constraints and registration issues caused the deal to stall. The uncertainty made the 22-year-old cautious, and he ultimately chose to stay in Bilbao.

The forward was hoping to help Athletic reach European success, but that dream ended in disappointment after a Europa League semi-final loss to Manchester United.

According to reports in Spain Raphinha’s form also stopped Barcelona from actively pursuing Nico Williams.