Arsenal failed to complete a deal for Nico Williams after significant interest and the player's agent has told his side of the story

Felix Tainta, the agent for Nico Williams, has confirmed Arsenal were among a number of teams who pushed to sign his client in recent years. However, he has also explained why the Spanish international opted to stay at Athletic Bilbao.

The summer of 2024 saw significant interest in Williams after his exploits at the European Championships. The winger was named man of the match in the final against England, ensuring Premier League teams entered the race.

Ultimately, Williams stayed put that year before Barcelona - one of the other interested parties in 2024 - tried again in a big way. Without guarantees of regular playing time in a World Cup year, though, Tainta and Williams decided the best course of action was to stay in Bilbao and sign a new long-term contract.

"We all know about Barca’s interest in the summer of ’24, following the European Championship," the agent told the Los Fulanos podcast. "Barca, Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool, PSG… I could name them all. Everyone wanted Nico, and it’s no small feat for a player to say ‘no’ to all these clubs."

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Tainta continued: "There were talks with Barca, and Athletic was aware of them because I kept them updated on the situation throughout, even though Athletic was angry with Barca over how they handled things." However, he insisted Williams could not risk not getting the minutes he needed as he pursued a spot in Luis de la Fuente's World Cup squad.

"Nico simply cannot go without playing," he added. "Nico is like a Formula 1 car; I’m not going to bring that kind of talent into your house only to have him become a problem for you, and I made that very clear to Barca.

"We decided that, without certain guarantees, we couldn’t risk Nico ending up somewhere where he wouldn’t play, especially with a World Cup on the horizon. And even setting the World Cup aside, he is a professional player who needs to be able to practice his profession and play."

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Having failed to land Williams in the summer of 2024, Arsenal kept their powder dry for a year before adding Noni Madueke and Ebere Eze to their ranks. Barcelona brought in Dani Olmo in August 2024 but still wanted an out-and-out winger the following summer, turning their attentions to Marcus Rashford on loan and then Anthony Gordon on a permanent deal just before the World Cup.

After staying in Bilbao, Williams did enough to earn a World Cup spot despite injury issues in the second half of the 2025/26 season. He was used from the bench by manager De la Fuente but made a telling contribution in the final, laying on the extra-time winner for Ferran Torres.