Deco, Barcelona’s Director of Football, expressed frustration regarding the failed transfer of Nico Williams, attributing the breakdown to his agent, Felix Tainta. This saga has been a recurring topic in Spanish media for the second consecutive summer, ultimately leaving Barcelona without the Basque winger.
Reports indicate that Tainta sought assurances about Williams’ registration, which has been a persistent issue for Barcelona in recent years. When the club couldn’t or wouldn’t provide these guarantees, Tainta abandoned the deal, leading to Williams extending his contract with Athletic Club until 2035.
‘If a Great Player Like Nico Suggests a Move, We’ll Talk’ – Deco
In a recent interview with MD, Deco was questioned about Barcelona’s renewed interest in Williams, despite his previous rejection a year earlier. Earlier this summer, the club had ruled out pursuing him.
“There’s no change. Our focus was on Luis Diaz, whom we deemed hard to acquire, and with Rashford, United was only interested in selling. While Nico doesn’t exactly fit our target profile, he can play both wings. As Ferran was shifting to a striker role, bringing in Nico would cover both wings, albeit without the traditional striker quality,” Deco explained.
Deco: “What is missing for De Jong to sign his renewal? We’re talking. Frenkie is really enjoying being here. Maturity at all levels…”
‘It Wasn’t About Registration Guarantees’
Many questioned why Barcelona pursued Williams without certainty regarding his registration. Some saw it as an embarrassing situation for the club. However, Deco clarified that the deal faltered due to Barcelona’s reluctance to accept new demands, not registration problems, a point also emphasized by President Joan Laporta.
“There’s no failure on our end; we established our club’s terms and wouldn’t accept any additional conditions from them. No player should impose restrictions on us; we set a deadline for a response, but they didn’t reply and chose to go their own way,” Deco stated.
‘Bilbao Are No Example for Anyone’ – Deco Responds to Athletic Club
Despite some resentment from Bilbao towards Barcelona, Deco suggested that any negative feelings should be directed at Tainta rather than his club. “I don’t want to delve into issues outside my purview. I focus on players and daily club management. However, Bilbao should not be considered a model in this context. We did not approach their player but they needed to address their agent, who had reached out to us multiple times,” he noted.
“This isn’t a club issue. If one of our players allows their agent to talk to other teams, we cannot blame the others. We’re moving forward; he remains a Bilbao player. It’s a straightforward situation. The agent pursued us, but it didn’t materialize, so we must focus on other priorities.”
Barcelona’s Ongoing Registration Issues
Nonetheless, Barcelona and Deco may find it challenging to reshape perceptions about their registration difficulties until they secure a significant signing. Aside from acquiring Dani Olmo for €55m, their only other major signing since the controversial ‘economic levers’ summer has been Joan Garcia for €25m. Olmo’s registration occurred due to La Liga’s emergency injury protocol, and Garcia’s required both emergency measures and a board guarantee.
