Barcelona have been forced to look at other alternatives following Nico Williams' contract extension at Athletic Bilbao.

The Catalan club were rebuffed by Athletic Club last summer and had to compete with Bayern Munich for the winger.

In what felt like a transfer saga heading toward a fairytale ending, Barcelona’s pursuit of Nico Williams reached a dead end that few inside the club saw coming. After months of groundwork, verbal agreements, and a public show of intent from both president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco, the 22-year-old winger chose to stay put.