‘Uncertain Situation’—La Liga Chief Reflects on Barcelona’s Failed Nico Williams Move

La Liga president Javier Tebas stated that Nico Williams chose not to "risk" waiting for Barcelona to secure the necessary funds to register him this summer. Although Williams had agreed to personal terms with Barcelona and was reportedly keen on the move, doubts arose earlier this month due to concerns over Barcelona's ability to finance the transfer and register him within the squad.

Williams subsequently rejected Barcelona's offer and instead signed a new long-term contract with his current club, effectively ending any possibility of a future transfer to Camp Nou. Tebas commented that, based on what he read, Williams had requested a registration guarantee which Barcelona, as a club, was unwilling to provide.

Tebas believes Barcelona is facing a situation similar to previous seasons, where they sign players and wait until the last minute to finalize registrations. He suggested this uncertainty can deter top players who prefer not to take such risks.

With Barcelona currently not operating under La Liga's 1:1 spending rule (allowing €1 spent for every €1 raised), they have now shifted their focus to other transfer targets, including Liverpool's Luis Díaz and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford. Tebas acknowledged that Barcelona is close to being able to complete such signings, stating, "I think Barcelona know exactly what they have to do and if they decide to move properly, they can sign players. It’s close, in my opinion." He added that the final step depends on whether Barcelona makes certain decisions to get closer to compliance.