Nico Williams has confirmed he turned down approaches from Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal over the past three summers, revealing the extent of the interest he received while choosing to remain at Athletic Bilbao. The disclosure carries particular weight given the recent departure of Bradley Barcola to Liverpool.

‘I have never doubted wanting to stay here,’ Williams told reporters. ‘I have received enormous offers over the last three summers. Apart from Barcelona, I received offers from PSG and Arsenal that I rejected. I am where I want to be. Decisions are made in the family, between my parents and my brother.’

PSG transfer news: does Paris have reason to regret it?

The question is less straightforward than it might appear. The left-wing position at PSG is occupied by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who arrived from Napoli in January 2025 and has established himself as one of the most dangerous attackers in the club’s history. His ability to eliminate defenders one-on-one and create danger in tight spaces would have made Williams’s integration a complex problem — two attackers with similar profiles competing for the same side.

Williams, meanwhile, has produced one goal across his first eight appearances this season, following six goals and four assists in the campaign before. The immediate question of whether he was the right move for PSG in 2025 does not yield a clear answer.

PSG transfer news: the picture changes after Barcola

The context shifted on August 31 when Barcola joined Liverpool. With that departure, the comparison between Williams and Mika Godts — who arrived from Ajax to provide attacking reinforcement — becomes more pointed. Godts is talented but still adapting to the demands of PSG. Williams would have arrived with proven European experience and the ability to make an immediate impact. Whether the club’s recruitment resolved the Barcola problem adequately is now the more relevant question — and the one on which the judgment should ultimately rest.