Barca weren’t going to sign Williams if they could not register him, says Laporta’s advisor

Barcelona would not sign Nico Williams if his LaLiga registration could not be guaranteed, according to Blaugrana president Joan Laporta's advisor Enric Masip.

The Spain international was a top target for Hansi Flick's side after playing a starring role in La Roja's triumph at the 2024 European Championship.

Williams scored a fine solo goal in the 4-1 win over Georgia in the Round of 16, becoming the first ever player at the European Championship (since 1980) to score, assist and complete 100% of his passes (46 of 46) in a game he started.

The Athletic Bilbao forward was subsequently named Player of the Match after finding the net in Spain's 2-1 win over England in the final.

Williams was expected to reunite with international teammate Lamine Yamal at Camp Nou.

It was reported that he opted to stay at Bilbao after Barca were unable to guarantee his registration with LaLiga due to meeting the salary cap, but Masip – Laporta's advisor – has refuted these claims.

“If a player who is interesting to you doesn't want to move, you don't have much room to maneuver,” he told El Chiringuito. 'There wasn't much you could do.

“It's hard for me to think that if you signed Nico Williams you wouldn't be able to register him.

“Barça wouldn't pay 50 or 60 million euros for a player if they couldn't register him. So that would definitely have happened.”

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— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 19, 2024