The night of Thursday, 3 July, was especially eventful in Bilbao. With complete discretion, Athletic Club and Nico Williams’ representatives prepared one of the biggest bombshells of the summer,

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nico Williams Stuns Barcelona With Final Transfer Decision: ‘This Is My Home’. Nico Williams has formally rejected a move to Barcelona by putting pen to paper on a surprise contract extension with Athletic Club.

Nico Williams will not be joining Barcelona this summer. The highly-rated Spain international has just committed his future to his boyhood club Athletic Bilbao by signing a new long-term contract extension with a much higher release clause.