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Athletic Club Bilbao star Nico Williams has opened up about his decision to not leave the La Liga side for the likes of Arsenal and a few other top clubs.
The forward’s development and impressive displays for the club hadn’t gone unnoticed. Arsenal were among the clubs to have made advances in securing his services. However, he had no intention of joining the Premier League winners or another club.
Williams graduated from Athletics’ academy and made his first team debut in 2021. Since then, he managed 38 goals and 37 assists from 207 matches. His form for the club has also helped him make a debut for Spain in 2022.
The attacker has been a regular for La Roja and was part of their World Cup and the 2024 European championship winning squad.
In July 2025, Nico Williams signed a long-term contract with the Basque club until 2035. Prior to that, Barcelona made concrete advances while Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain also wanted to sign him.
Earlier this month, Williams’ agent Félix Tainta confirmed snubbing Mikel Arteta’s side, the La Liga winners, Liverpool, PSG and others, to continue at Athletic.
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He said: “We all know about Barca’s interest in the summer of 24, after the European championship. Barca, Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool, PSG… I could name them all. Everyone wanted Nico, and having a player say no to all these clubs isn’t easy.”
His brother, Iñaki Williams, wasn’t happy with the representative’s comments mentioning the aforementioned clubs.
Nico Williams
Athletic Club career statistics · All competitions
| Season | Club | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Athletic Club | 2 | 0 |
| 2021/22 | Athletic Club | 40 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | Athletic Club | 43 | 9 |
| 2023/24 | Athletic Club | 37 | 8 |
| 2024/25 | Athletic Club | 45 | 11 |
| 2025/26 | Athletic Club | 32 | 6 |
| 2026/27* | Athletic Club | 8 | 1 |
| ATHLETIC FIRST-TEAM TOTAL | 207 | 38 | |
| 2022–present | Spain Senior internationals |
38 | 7 |
Scope: Athletic Club first-team competitive matches across all competitions. Basconia, Bilbao Athletic and youth-team appearances are excluded. Spain statistics are listed separately.
*2026/27: Season in progress. Club figures include the match against Getafe on 25 October 2026. Spain figures are through 29 September 2026.
Sources: Athletic Club’s official player record and Opta Analyst.
Updated: 26 October 2026.
SPORT WITNESS
On Sunday, the 24-year-old played 68 minutes in Athletic’s 4-0 league win over Getafe. After the match, he spoke to the media and AS have relayed his comments.
When analysing Félix Tainta’s comments, he said: “My brother was clear in what he said (that it wasn’t the right time or the right way). It’s difficult when your name is involved in that kind of thing.”
“Félix was wrong with what he said, things aren’t like that. The final decision is made by me, my brother, and the family. What happens at home, only the three of us know. I’ve never doubted being here. I’ve had countless offers. I could have left, and I’ve always been clear about staying here.”
“My intention to be here cannot be questioned. I told Barca, Arsenal, PSG, and many others no, because I want to be here. I hope people understand.”
His form has dropped since the start of last season, where he managed six goals and seven from 2,101 minutes from 32 matches. This season, Nico Williams scored one goal from 441 minutes from eight matches.
The World Cup winner needs to once again showcase his qualities to attract interest from the Gunners or any other top club.
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