Transfer reversal◝TA: Barcelona considers Rashford & Manchester United wants to sell Barcelona many people are surprised Nico renewing contract

Deco rejected the request. He assured Nico's representatives that he would successfully register Nico before the end of the summer transfer window, but he was reluctant to risk losing an asset worth €58 million.

People familiar with the matter said that Deco was suffering after experiencing Olmo registration issues last season and he was unwilling to repeat the same mistakes in Nico's deal. In addition, Barcelona believes that they have shown sincerity to re-engage with Nico, although the experience last summer was not pleasant.

However, on Wednesday night, members of the Barcelona board of directors still believed the trade would be successful. They thought Nico’s desire to join would solve the issue being discussed, but they were wrong.

On Thursday night, Nico returned to Bilbao and ended his holiday. There, he filmed social media content announcing a contract renewal with Athletic Bilbao.

Barcelona executives learned through this social media video that Nico decided to stay at Athletic Bilbao. The same goes for most players. Some people can’t understand what’s going on because they think Nico’s arrival is a foregone conclusion – even his jersey number has been discussed.

Athletic Bilbao has been negotiating with Nico for several months on a contract renewal. With this new contract, he will become the highest paid player in the club's history - an annual salary of about 10 million euros after tax. This is significantly higher than the offer offered by Barcelona, ​​although Athletic Bilbao has advantages in this regard.

The Basque Country, especially the Biscay Province, where the capital Bilbao is located, has special regulations on the salary and taxes of football players. The local government believes that athletes have a shorter working years, so a lower tax rate applies.

Former Barcelona vice president of finance Edward Roma said in an interview last week: "Taking the difference in tax rules, Nico is 40% more expensive for Barcelona than at Athletic Bilbao."

Nico's transfer soap opera is now over and Barcelona must consider the next move. The club is expected to return to initial plans to strengthen the left-wing position: Louis Dias and Rashford will be the focus of the discussion. Diaz is Deco's first choice and will certainly be a top priority, although financial and other factors can be difficult.

Rashford is a more affordable option and Manchester United is looking to sell him. Rashford, 27, also tends to play abroad, and Barcelona sources believe he is willing to join on loan and accept a salary cut.

In any case, Barcelona is expected to take major actions soon. They need to find new impetus after this setback.