This is not the first time Williams has turned down a move to Barcelona, as he did the same last year after the European Championship. Laporta revealed that the club was offered Williams by his agent at the end of last season, during a time when they were negotiating with Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.

Laporta explained that the club's sports director, Deco, advised them to listen to the agent's proposal, as the priority at the time was to sign either Luis Díaz from Liverpool or Rashford on loan from Manchester United. However, Laporta expressed disappointment with the deal, citing significant differences between the initial proposal and the actual terms that were offered.

According to Laporta, Deco set a 48-hour deadline for the deal to be finalized, warning that if the parties couldn't agree on the terms, the club would not proceed with the transfer. Ultimately, the deal fell through due to these unresolved issues.