Athletic Club winger Nico Williams has confirmed turning down opportunities to join Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, and FC Barcelona to stay at the club.

The Spanish international signed a new deal that commits him to the club where he came through the ranks until 2035.

The Spaniard said at a press conference that he never doubted he wanted to stay at Bilbao.

The 24-year-old added that he had received many offers over the last three summers to leave his childhood club, but said he chose to commit his long-term future to the club where he came through the ranks. 

“Nobody held a gun to my head to make me decide,” the 2026 World Cup winner insisted.

With his future now tied to Athletic until 2035 after his recent contract extension, he is unlikely to leave, as he is emotionally attached to the club that gave him the chance to shine.

“Whether it was Barça or other clubs like PSG, Arsenal and many others, I said ‘no’ to everyone to stay here,” he added.

This echoes his agent, Félix Tainta, who recently revealed details behind his client’s eventful summer.

He explained that while Williams had been open to leaving the Basque Country, the lack of guarantees elsewhere led him to reconsider his position.

Although his release clause is yet to be revealed, it is expected to be around 200m Euros for whichever club wants to activate it, depending on whether the winger wants to try a fresh challenge.

The Basque club has developed a culture of developing its own talent rather than signing from other clubs, which continues to give academy talents opportunities to flourish.

Williams’ move is seen as repaying the club for his development.

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