In what felt like a transfer saga heading toward a fairytale ending, Barcelona’s pursuit of Nico Williams reached a dead end that few inside the club saw coming. After months of groundwork, verbal agreements, and a public show of intent from both president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco, the 22-year-old winger chose to stay put.

Former Barcelona sporting director Ramon Planes, now working at Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, shared his views on Barcelona’s current situation. When asked about how he sees the Blaugrana under

“Athletic Club forward Nico Williams has put pen to paper on a 10-year deal keeping him in Bilbao until 30 June 2035,” a statement read. “Nico’s new agreement has an increase in the release clause of more than 50% over the previous one.