Jude Bellingham has revealed what he thinks about Nico Williams rejecting Barcelona and choosing to sign a 10-year extension with Bilbao instead. Remember, Real Madrid and Barcelona are heated rivals with frequent El Clásicos, so Nico potentially joining Barcelona’s attack could have posed a problem for Real Madrid. However, speaking on the matter, Jude Bellingham made it clear that he doesn't care.
This was said during a press conference ahead of their quarter-final match against Dortmund, where Bellingham is set to face his former club—though he won't get to play against his brother Jobe, who recently signed for Dortmund but is suspended after picking up a yellow card.
Speaking about Barça’s failed deal with Nico, Jude said:
> "I don't care. It's not Real Madrid, so I don't care,"
as revealed and quoted by Fabrizio Romano on his Twitter page.
Recall that Nico had reportedly offered himself to Barcelona, with their sporting director Deco consistently expressing interest in signing him. However, Nico shocked everyone when Athletic Club announced that he had signed a 10-year contract extension, effectively ending any speculation linking him to Barcelona.
He even surprised one of his best friends, Lamine Yamal, who was reportedly excited to play alongside his national teammate. On top of that, Nico increased his release clause to around €80–100 million—financially putting off any potential deal. Barcelona reportedly had no idea and only found out through social media that he had once again chosen to snub them.
Barcelona are now expected to turn their attention back to Luis DÃaz and Marcus Rashford. Rashford is said to be keen on making the move.
Though Athletic Club and Barcelona are not traditional rivals, news of Nico potentially joining Barça stirred up some trouble among Bilbao fans. However, in the next El Clásico, Real Madrid won’t have to worry about Nico and his dribbling skills. And now, hopefully, Trent Alexander-Arnold can sleep with both eyes closed—no longer at risk of being turned inside out by Lamine and Nico. That’s one less player to worry about.
For now, Real Madrid can breathe a little easier, knowing Barcelona won’t be strengthening their attack—especially given their current financial struggles.