Nico Williams used Athletic Club's 4-0 win over Getafe to make his position clear. After a game that ended a four-match winless run, Williams said he had turned down Barcelona, Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain and others because he wanted to stay. It was a direct answer to his agent Félix Tainta, who had suggested the winger had been open to leaving.
The sequence matters here. Tainta had said, quoted in Spanish by Estadio Deportivo, in comments translated from Spanish: "He had the idea of being able to leave, at Athletic you are not going to win a Champions League."
Williams' reply was firmer than most players give in these situations. Speaking to Estadio Deportivo, in comments translated from Spanish, he said: "My brother was clear about what he said. It is difficult when your name is involved in that kind of thing. Félix was wrong with the words he said, things are not like that. I make the final decision, my brother and the family. What happens at home, only the three of us know. I have never doubted being here, I have had countless offers, I could have left and I was clear that I wanted to stay here."
The transfer line Williams wanted to draw
Williams was not just denying a move was close. He was saying the desire to leave never really existed on his side. That is a stronger claim, and it puts distance between the player and his agent's version of events.
He also got more specific elsewhere. Quoted by sportsmole.co.uk, Williams said: "I have never doubted wanting to stay here. I have received enormous offers over the last three summers. Apart from Barcelona, I received offers from PSG and Arsenal that I rejected. I am where I want to be. Decisions are made in the family, between my parents and my brother."
There is some messiness around timing. One account places those offers across the last three summers, while other reporting narrows parts of that period. The core point does not really shift. Williams is saying he had chances to go and chose not to.
That stance also lines up with the longer-term commitment around him. Estadio Deportivo reports that he has a contract until 2035. Whatever noise surrounded him, the public message from the player now is the opposite of an exit push.
Athletic's win gave him the right backdrop
The comments landed after a game Athletic badly needed. The 4-0 win over Getafe stopped a four-match winless run and steadied a team sitting eighth in La Liga with 12 points from nine matches.
Williams played 68 minutes in the match, according to Estadio Deportivo. Another source in the coverage credits him with 85 minutes and a goal. The exact minute count is less important than the broader point: he was back in the starting side on a comfortable afternoon, and that gave him a good platform to address the transfer talk.
He said, again to Estadio Deportivo in translated comments: "I felt good, it was seen on the pitch, I am doing everything possible. The external noise does not affect me, I want to make Athletic win."
The form line is still worth keeping in view. Williams has 2 goals and 2 assists in 10 league appearances this season, so this is not a story built on overwhelming output. It is a player defending his own version of events while trying to build rhythm again inside a season that had started unevenly for both him and the club.
Athletic's win over Getafe does not settle every argument around the summer chatter, and it does not need to. What it did give Williams was a clean setting to say, in public, that he rejected the clubs circling him and chose to stay at Athletic.
FAQ
Did Nico Williams say he rejected Barcelona, Arsenal and PSG to stay at Athletic Club?
Yes. Williams said he had received enormous offers and named Barcelona, PSG and Arsenal among the clubs he rejected. He also said he never doubted staying at Athletic and that the final decision was made by him, his brother and his family.
Why did Nico Williams respond publicly to his agent's comments?
Williams was reacting to comments from Félix Tainta, who said the winger had the idea of leaving because Athletic were not going to win a Champions League. Williams answered by saying his agent was wrong with those words and insisted the decision to stay was always his.
How important was Nico Williams in Athletic's win over Getafe?
The timing of his comments was helped by the result. Athletic beat Getafe 4-0 to end a four-match winless run, and Williams returned to the starting lineup. One source in the coverage says he played 68 minutes, while another says he played 85 minutes and scored once.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
