The 22-year-old has been on the radar of the Catalonians, who have made him one of their priority targets this summer.
Having built a great partnership with Lamine Yamal in the Spain national team en route to winning the 2024 European Championship, many Barcelona fans have been eager to have him at the club.
However, if recent events are anything to go by, then Williams could be staying at Athletic Bilbao after taking a new number.
Nico Williams swaps no.11 for no.10 jersey
The winger used to wear the number 11 jersey but has now taken the number 10 shirt ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The number 10 jersey used to be worn by the legendary forward Iker Muniain, who departed Bilbao in June after 15 years at the club.
“Very happy to wear Muniain’s number 10 and to make history as he has done,” Williams said of his new shirt number.
Meanwhile, former Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng has expressed his displeasure with Ghana losing out on top talents to European nations.
Boateng cited Kobbie Mainoo, Jeremy Doku, Jeremie Frimpong and Nico Williams as players who should’ve been snapped up by Ghana earlier.
In the case of Williams, the former Fulham anchorman said Spain blocked his chances of playing for the Black Stars after realising how good he is.
He was, however, quick to add that should the Ghana Football Association (GFA) become more proactive in tracking talented players of Ghanaian descent, they’ll be able to sway them before they even become stars.
“How can we lose players like Kobbie Mainoo, Jeremy Doku, Jeremie Frimpong, and Nico Williams,” Boateng told Kingdom FM, as quoted by Ghanaweb.
“Inaki is playing for us, but why couldn’t we get Nico? Because he is good and talented, Spain blocked his chances of playing for Ghana.
“We must do a lot more, and we shouldn’t wait until they are grown up and playing before we start talking to them. By then, their parents will not even allow it because we were not there from the beginning, so why now?”
Williams scored five goals and provided 14 assists in 31 La Liga matches last season.