Barca target Williams signs 10-year Bilbao deal

Spain winger Nico Williams has signed a caller 10-year statement pinch Athletic Bilbao.

The 22-year-old had been heavy linked pinch Barcelona, while German nine Bayern Munich were besides speculated to beryllium willing successful his services.

His erstwhile woody pinch Bilbao was scheduled to tally retired successful 2027 but he has now extended his position pinch them until 30 June, 2035.

The Spanish nine person said, external Williams' merchandise clause, which is believed to person been €62m (£53m),, external has besides accrued by 50%.

"When decisions person to beryllium made, for me, what weighs astir is nan heart. I'm wherever I want to be, pinch my people, this is my home," said Williams.

Williams has travel done nan ranks astatine Bilbao, wherever his older relative Inaki is besides a player, and made his debut for nan nine aged 18 successful April 2021.

He has scored 31 goals successful 167 appearances for nan nine and helped them decorativeness 4th successful La Liga past play arsenic they qualified for nan 2025-26 Champions League.

Williams besides helped Spain triumph Euro 2024, scoring successful nan 2-1 triumph complete England successful nan final.

This announcement comes aft it was understood that Barcelona had agreed individual terms pinch nan guardant which led to Athletic fans erasing Nico Williams from a mural featuring him and Inaki.

It is besides conscionable complete a week aft Athletic said they had met pinch La Liga to find retired astir Barcelona's "ability to motion players" amid nan Nou Camp club's financial issues.

Athletic Bilbao added they had "legitimate liking successful accessing nan applicable accusation aft FC Barcelona sporting head Deco publically acknowledged that they will effort to motion a subordinate from our first team".

"Deco's statements adhd to nan nationalist statements made by FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta himself, admitting that nan Blaugrana nine 'is moving to beryllium wrong nan 1:1 rule' and that, therefore, it is not presently wrong nan parameters of said norm for registering players."

The '1:1 rule' states that Barcelona tin only walk arsenic overmuch arsenic their income and accounts allow, pinch La Liga calculating a limit based connected nan club's expected income.

The 10-year statement for Williams continues an progressively communal believe crossed shot whereby much players are being signed to semipermanent contracts.

In January, Norway striker Erling Haaland committed to a caller woody pinch Manchester City until 2034.

Chelsea are renowned for signing players to semipermanent agreements and, successful August 2024, guardant Cole Palmer extended what was already a seven-year statement by 2 years to support him pinch nan Blues until 2033.

The Stamford Bridge nine has continued to employment this strategy, contempt Uefa and nan Premier League changing rules successful 2023 truthful a transportation interest tin only beryllium dispersed crossed a maximum of 5 years of a player's first contract.

Previously, Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta signed a life woody pinch Barcelona erstwhile he was 33 successful October 2017, though he joined Japanese broadside Vissel Kobe successful 2018.

BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague

Barcelona person been adamant Nico Williams was still exploring nan thought of signing for them, but nan problem for them was nan financial side.

They person nary problem pinch money successful nan bank, but they are waiting to perceive if they will person to comply pinch nan 1:1 rules. They hoped VIP seats, that person not been built, counted towards income - but La Liga stopped that.

So they do not cognize if they could registry nan subordinate and Williams' supplier had insisted unless they could guarantee he could be, location was nary measurement of doing a woody unless they put an flight clause.

Barcelona did not want to do that arsenic it would person meant they would suffer nan interest of much than £50m they request to salary for his buy-out clause. If he could not beryllium registered, he would beryllium capable to time off for nothing. It made nary sense.

The woody sewage stuck a mates of days ago. Barcelona started to nonstop antagonistic vibes successful nan Catalan media while maintaining unit connected Williams done nan aforesaid press.

Williams has been quiet throughout. Bayern Munich were besides willing successful him but now he has signed for 10 years pinch a buyout clause of astatine slightest 90m euros (£78m).

This will beryllium a rustle to Barcelona, who had said, via Deco, that Williams was a priority, while nine president Laporta kept suggesting a large signing was coming.

It is nan 2nd clip successful a twelvemonth that he has decided to enactment put, which makes consciousness for nan player.