Nico Williams rules out an exit and wants to fulfil his contract until 2035 at Athletic
Enough speculation. Basque winger Nico Williams made it clear, from the Spanish national team’s training base in the United States, that he has no intention whatsoever of leaving Athletic Club – and that, if it were up to him, he would sign to stay there for the rest of his career. The statement ends, at least for now, months of rumours that put the player in Barcelona’s sights.
Last summer’s saga still echoes
In the last transfer window, Williams became one of the most coveted names in Europe. Barcelona pushed hard, and the player’s entourage even signalled openness to negotiations. In the end, he chose to renew with the Bilbao club until 2035 – a decision he now reaffirms with conviction.
“I feel very comfortable at Athletic,” said the forward. “The first thing I want to do is repay the affection they have shown me this year. I would like to fulfil my entire contract – I would sign that right now. But in football anything can happen. If it were up to me, I would stay there for the rest of my life.”
The final caveat did not go unnoticed. Williams acknowledges that the final decision rests with the board of the Leones, not just with him. It is a reality of modern football: long contracts protect clubs, but rarely prevent transfers when there is enough money on the table.
A season marked by physical pain
The talk of loyalty carries even more weight when you consider the difficult year Williams went through. He suffered from pubic osteitis – one of the most treacherous injuries in football, with no fixed recovery timeline – and missed a crucial European semi-final. On his return, a muscle injury suffered against Valencia kept him out of three consecutive La Liga games, against Espanyol, Celta de Vigo and Real Madrid.
“Pubalgia is incredibly frustrating. One day you see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the next you feel awful. It can drag on indefinitely,” the player admitted. “This muscle injury has a defined timeline – three or four weeks. I feel good now, but there is a risk of relapse.”
Despite the absences, national team coach Luis de la Fuente kept full confidence in the forward and called him up for the 2026 World Cup, held on North American soil.
World Cup: recovery at an accelerated pace, but with caution
In Spain’s opener, a frustrating goalless draw against Cape Verde, Williams came on only in the final minutes – in the 86th. Match rhythm at zero, body still in the readaptation process. The next fixture, against Saudi Arabia, should earn him more minutes.
“I think I will be 100% before the round of 16, just in time for the game against Uruguay,” he projected. “We are trying to speed up the recovery, but carefully. Coming back after so long out is hard.” He also made his tactical preference clear: “For me, it is better to start the match than to come on in the second half. But I will be happy with whatever role I am assigned.”
At 22 and with a decade-long contract ahead of him in Bilbao, Williams represents exactly what Athletic Club has historically stood for: home-grown talents, loyal to the shirt. Rare in today’s football. They still exist.
