‘Nico Williams’ Agent Wouldn’t Have Fooled Me!’ – Joan Gaspart Slams Barcelona Over Transfer Collapse and Warns Athletic Club About Extension Fallout

Former President Who Signed Maradona and Rivaldo Criticises Barcelona Over Nico Williams Saga

In a saga filled with contract demands, failed negotiations, and last-minute turnarounds, Barcelona’s failed pursuit of Nico Williams has stirred frustration not just among fans but within the club’s old guard too. One of the most vocal critics? Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart, who’s never been one to hold back.

Now 79 years old and long removed from the boardroom battles of modern football, Gaspart still bleeds blaugrana. And when he sees what he believes to be a lack of passion, vision, or competence within the walls of the club he once led — he says it. This time, his words cut deep into the heart of the club’s transfer struggles, as he addressed the collapse of the Nico Williams deal and took aim at both the Barcelona management and the winger’s agent.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Nico Williams

Heading into the summer window, all signs pointed toward Barcelona finally securing the services of Nico Williams, the electrifying winger from Athletic Club Bilbao. The 22-year-old Spain international had been a long-time target for the Catalans, admired not only for his technical brilliance and blistering pace but also for his relatively accessible release clause.

Reports earlier in the summer indicated that Nico Williams had initiated contact with Barça, eager to make the leap to one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Personal terms were reportedly agreed upon — a six-year deal that would see him join Hansi Flick’s new project at Camp Nou.

But then things started to unravel.

THE DEAL THAT NEVER WAS

Barcelona, still not operating under La Liga’s more relaxed 1:1 financial rule, found themselves caught between their ambitions and reality. The club, while rebuilding both on and off the pitch, is still haunted by tight salary caps and registration concerns.

At the heart of the breakdown, according to multiple sources, was a clause demanded by Felix Tainta, Nico Williams’ agent. Tainta reportedly wanted a free release clause included in the deal — a unique condition that would allow Nico Williams to leave Barça freely if the club couldn’t register him in time.

Barcelona, understandably cautious about setting such a precedent, didn’t bite.

Instead, Nico Williams signed a new 10-year deal with Athletic Club — one of the most lucrative contracts in the club’s history, complete with a considerably higher release clause. What was once seen as a coup-in-the-making for Barcelona quickly became a missed opportunity, and an expensive one at that.

GASPART’S VERDICT: “THE AGENT WOULDN’T HAVE FOOLED ME!”

Deco Luis Diaz Marcus Rashford

Speaking on the ‘Solo Para Cules’ podcast, Joan Gaspart didn’t mince words.

“Nico is a great player, but now the problem is Bilbao,” he began. “When the players realise they’re earning half, half, half of what Nico earns, they’re not going to like it. And the fans — if this player doesn’t score 50 goals, they’re going to boo him, right?”

Gaspart’s warning was two-fold: not only did he believe Barça fumbled the deal, but he also questioned the long-term wisdom of Athletic Club tying so much of their wage structure to one player. It’s a move that could destabilise the dressing room if not managed carefully.

But his sharper criticism was reserved for his own club.

“There was no passion,” Gaspart continued. “And it’s not a criticism of [sporting director] Deco, who is a professional and might be at another team tomorrow that pays him more. I wasn’t paid for what I did. I did it out of passion. And when you do it with passion, it’s very difficult for things to slip away.”

He painted a picture of a club where decisions are being made by professionals, not believers — people doing a job rather than following a calling. For Gaspart, Barcelona’s soul is missing from the transfer market.

“Barcelona is a club of passion. And passion isn’t instilled by a professional — it’s carried by someone who has it,” he added.

COMPARISONS TO A GOLDEN ERA

Gaspart, who served as vice-president during the club’s golden years in the late 20th century and then as president from 2000 to 2003, was quick to highlight the difference between now and then.

“Don’t tell me stories! I’ve signed [Diego] Maradona, Rivaldo, [Andoni] Zubizarreta, [Jose Mari] Bakero… I’ve signed them and nothing like that has ever happened to me.”

It was a strong statement — and a reminder that the club once negotiated with some of the game’s biggest names without losing control of the narrative.

The clear implication? He believes that Felix Tainta, the agent representing Nico Williams, outmaneuvered the current Barça board — something that, in his view, never would have happened under his watch.

“That intermediary Nico Williams has — he wouldn’t have fooled me,” Gaspart concluded, with the kind of old-school swagger only someone who once signed Maradona could carry.

THE FALLOUT AT BILBAO

While Barcelona fans lament the one who got away, the pressure now shifts to Athletic Club.

Nico Williams is an extraordinary player, no doubt. But now he’s the highest-paid man at San Mamés — and Gaspart believes the dressing room might not react kindly if results don’t follow.

Ten-year contracts are rare in modern football. So is paying one player substantially more than his peers. Athletic Club have bet big on Nico Williams, not just to perform, but to become the face of their future. That’s a heavy crown for a 22-year-old to wear — and one that brings new expectations.

WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

For Hansi Flick and Deco, the focus now turns to alternatives.

Following the rejection from Nico Williams, Barcelona have been linked with Luis Díaz of Liverpool and Marcus Rashford of Manchester United. While Díaz appears to be edging closer to Bayern Munich, Rashford remains a long shot — both in terms of transfer fee and wages.

Barcelona will also head to South Korea and Japan at the end of July for a preseason tour, where Flick will get his first look at the squad in action. Youth academy products like Lamine Yamal and Fermín López may now find themselves with even greater responsibility in the absence of new attacking reinforcements.

FINAL THOUGHTS: A DEAL THAT REVEALS MORE THAN JUST FAILURE

The Nico Williams transfer saga wasn’t just about one player. It was a mirror held up to Barcelona — and what it revealed isn’t entirely flattering.

For Joan Gaspart, it exposed a club that’s lost its edge, its soul, and maybe even its sense of identity. Whether or not you agree with his view, one thing is clear: the Barça of old wouldn’t have let this slip away.

Now, the club moves on — bruised but not broken. As they have always done. But the lessons of this failed transfer might linger long after the summer window closes.