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Barcelona are reportedly planning to reignite their interest in Liverpool winger Luis Diaz after facing a significant setback in the transfer market. Their long-term target Nico Williams made a U-turn by signing a long-term deal with Athletic Bilbao. The LaLiga champions have been actively searching for a winger in the ongoing transfer window but are yet to sign one.
Luis Diaz has been on Barca’s transfer radar before the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but both parties are yet to reach an agreement. As per The Athletic, their proposal for the Colombia international was turned down by Liverpool. The Catalans appeared to temporarily pulled out of the race to sign Diaz and shifted their focus to Williams. Reports suggested that they had reached an agreement with the 22-year-old and were prepared to trigger the €58 million release clause in his contract.
However, Athletic Bilbao forestalled any potential swoop by getting Williams to commit to a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2035. The contract extension also saw his previous release clause increase by more than 50%.
After missing out on Nico Williams, La Blaugrana are now expected explore other alternatives. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Barca are planning to make a new approach for Luis Diaz in the next days or week. However, the operation is expected to be difficult as Liverpool have reportedly closed the door on a potential exit for Diaz to both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, who are also showing interest in the Colombian.
Diaz played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League triumph in the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists in 36 league matches.
Barcelona closes doors on signing Nico Williams – Reports
Barcelona were reportedly in disbelief after Nico Williams made a shocking decision to renew his contract with Athletic Bilbao. After weeks of negotiations, the Catalans were optimistic about signing the player, expecially since he had reportedly expressed his interest in joining Barca.
However, Williams completely ruled out any chance of joining La Blaugrana by signing a new deal with Bilbao in the early hours of Friday, July 4. He featured in a video published by Bilbao in which he can be heard saying:
“When it comes to making decisions, for me, the most important thing is to listen to your heart. I am where I want to be, with my people. This is my home.”
According to per RAC1, Barcelona felt betrayed and hurt by Williams’ decision, and will not longer attempt to sign him in the future. Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his eponymous YouTube channel, noted that Williams turned down the move due to concerns about registration issues at Barcelona, a situation similar to what Dani Olmo faced after he joined the club last summer.
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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