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<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="footballco-bet-betsense">{"type":"footballco-bet-betsense","data":{}}</script><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><ul><li>Winger starred for Spain at Euro 2024</li><li>Linked with a move to Catalunya</li><li>Premier League clubs also remain keen</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_d6e1e5da-7d9a-43d5-97e1-f4350a3cd7e3"}}</script>

Lamine Yamal & Alejandro Balde ‘didn’t help’ Nico Williams during summer transfer saga

<p>After <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/nico-williams-needed-mother-permission-buy-220000-porsche-911-gt3-spain-superstar-euro-2024-england/blt3b10b5aaa97b38eb" target="_blank">starring for Spain during their Euro 2024 triumph</a>, Williams saw a big-money move away from Athletic Club speculated on. At one point he appeared <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/revealed-why-barcelona-failed-sign-nico-williams-guarantees-athletic-club-star/blt2f8842bd31e1d257" target="_blank">destined to join international colleagues Yamal and Balde in Catalunya</a>.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>No deal was done, with the exciting 22-year-old winger eventually opting to <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/video-nico-williams-going-nowhere-athletic-club-hint-spain-euro-2024-hero-staying-barcelona-transfer-interest/blt6f7b8fefb6ca66f2" target="_blank">spend at least one more season in Bilbao</a>. Williams has revealed that Spain colleagues plying their trade at Barcelona used to text him “all the time” as speculation regarding his future raged.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Williams has told <a href="https://x.com/LaRevuelta_TVE/status/1854278837598622035 " target="_blank"><em>La Revuelta</em></a> of how he handled that situation, as <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/nico-williams-explains-why-crazy-success-hasnt-changed-lamine-yamal-athletic-club-star-big-brother-barcelona-wonderkid/bltfeea0eb036be8d17" target="_blank">supposed friends sought to wind him up</a> by asking incessant questions: “It was difficult. On top of that, the 'bastards' of [Barca] Lamine and Balde and others didn't help. They would say to me ‘brother come now, come now’.”</p>

WHAT NICO WILLIAMS SAID

<p>Barca did end up signing Spain star Dani Olmo, but missed out on Williams. He is still receiving plenty of messages on social media, with the talented forward adding: “It's difficult to distance yourself from that. I still get messages despite not being linked. It's a bit of everything. Many people say ‘go to Barca’ and others say ‘we don't need you anymore’.”</p>

DID YOU KNOW?

<p>Barcelona are not the only side to have been linked with Williams, as <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/nico-williams-happy-at-athletic-club-barcelona-arsenal-chelsea-transfer-interest-refuses-to-commit-future/blt380273f435e006bd" target="_blank">Premier League heavyweights cast admiring glances in his direction</a>, and it is considered to be only a matter of time before he severs ties with Athletic Club.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

Lamine Yamal & Alejandro Balde ‘didn’t help’ Nico Williams during summer transfer saga | Goal.com US

Nico Williams has joked about how the “b*stards of Barcelona” Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde “didn’t help” him during a summer transfer saga.