Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, has finally revealed why the club chose to sign Dani Olmo instead of Nico Williams during the 2024 summer transfer window.

Throughout the summer, the Catalan club was heavily linked with Nico Williams.

Fans eagerly anticipated his arrival, and president Joan Laporta fueled the excitement by stating that the club could afford to sign the Athletic Bilbao star, who had wowed the football world at Euro 2024. However, Barcelona ultimately decided to invest in Dani Olmo.

A few days after the transfer window closed, Deco addressed the situation in an interview with Barça One TV to clarify the club’s decision:

“We needed a high-level winger. We have Raphinha, Ferran, and Ansu Fati, who was excellent in pre-season but unfortunately suffered a foot injury. We also have Lamine Yamal... We have players like Fermín López or Dani Olmo, who can play as wingers.

“We were clear that any new signing had to be of very high quality. In the end, signing Dani Olmo provided us with more options. It’s not that we didn’t have discussions with clubs and players, but ultimately, our priorities led us to decide against bringing in another winger.”

Nico Williams appeared to be Barcelona’s top target during the summer. Fans and football enthusiasts were eager to see the thrilling combination of the Spanish duo, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, both at the national level and potentially for Barcelona. However, the transfer didn’t materialize.

Many fans were left disappointed by the club’s failure to secure the signing, with some accusing president Joan Laporta of misleading them with false promises.

The rumor mill suggests that Barcelona has not given up on signing the Athletic Club winger and may make another attempt in the summer of 2025. 

Time will tell if this speculation becomes a reality.