Nico Williams rejected a move to Arsenal two years ago, according to his agent Felix Tainta.

The Gunners wanted to sign the 24-year-old after he impressed for Spain at Euro 2024.

Williams scored the opening goal as La Roja beat England 2-1 in the final in Berlin and he ended up winning the Player of the Match following a standout performance. It capped off a stunning season for the Pamplona-born forward, who helped Athletic Club win the Copa del Rey just months before.

In total, Williams scored eight goals and 18 assists in 37 matches for Athletic during the 2023/24 campaign and there was significant interest for his signature after Spain's European Championship triumph.

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Arsenal were among those chasing a move for Williams, as Mikel Arteta looked to strengthen his front line. He had a £48million release clause in his Athletic contract, though the Gunners chose not to trigger that and instead moved to sign Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea late in the 2024 summer transfer window.

Now, Williams' agent Tainta has explained how close Williams got to leave Athletic after helping Spain win at Euro 2024, outlining that Arsenal and a whole host of other top European clubs were interested.

Speaking in a new interview with Spanish outlet Los Fulanos, Tainta said: "We all know about Barca's interest in the summer of '24, after the European Championship. Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern [Munich], Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain… I could name them all. Everyone wanted Nico, and having a player say no to all these clubs isn't easy.

"From there, we talked to Barca. Athletic knew because I kept them informed about the situation at all times, even though Athletic were angry with Barca for their methods. From then on, I initiated conversations."

Barcelona appeared to be the frontrunners for Williams' signature at the time. But that situation turned sour after the Catalan club attempted to lure him to Camp Nou with Athletic fans turning against the Spain international.

Williams performed a U-Turn and ended up signing a blockbuster 10-year contract at Athletic last summer, keeping him at the club until 2035. As it turns out, Williams and his agent were concerned about playing time had he ended up at Barcelona, with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and others starring there.

"There came a point in the negotiations, in the situation, where Nico couldn't be without playing time," Tainta continued. "Nico is a Formula 1 car. If I go to your house, I can't take on your problem. And I made that clear to Barca.

"From then on, we decided that if there weren't certain guarantees, we couldn't risk Nico not going there to play, with a World Cup coming up, and not just with a World Cup. A professional has to practice their profession.

"I go to your house to practice my profession; I have to continue doing my profession, and if you have a problem, that shouldn't affect me. And if you can't assure me that it won't affect me, then I might have to change my mind."