Hansi Flick’s immediate response to the news that Nico Williams had rebuffed Barcelona’s advances to sign a new 10-year contract at Athletic Club was much the same as everyone else: surprise.
Without running negotiations, the Barcelona manager would surely have been kept abreast of the increasingly positive developments surrounding the club’s pursuit of Williams. Despite Athletic’s very public attempts to derail Barcelona’s approach for their star player, the defending La Liga champions had reportedly agreed personal terms with the forward.
