With positive news coming from all sides, the transfer of Nico Williams to Barcelona seems to be just a formality away. “Mundo Deportivo” has reviewed three important players in Barcelona’s history who were transferred from Athletic Bilbao—Jesús Garré, José Alexanko, and Andoni Zubizarreta—and is hopeful that Nico can become the next Barça legend.
In 1960, Jesús Garré was the subject of a high-profile transfer, having already been a key player for Athletic Bilbao before moving to Barcelona. As a tall center-back, Garré was known for his front-foot defending and excellent ball-playing skills. When Athletic Bilbao decided to sell one of their main players to raise funds for the construction of the North Stand at San Mamés, Garré was sold to Barcelona for 6 million pesetas, a significant sum at the time. So much so that Athletic fans named the new North Stand after him when it was completed. Garré played for Barcelona until 1965, winning only one cup title, making 165 appearances and scoring 5 goals, before ending his career at Málaga.
Twenty years later, in 1980, José Ramón Alexanko became the second Athletic Bilbao center-back to join Barcelona. While there was no new stand being built this time, the 1980 transfer was the most expensive transfer for a Spanish player at the time, with a fee of 100 million pesetas. Alexanko played for Barcelona between 1980 and 1993, alongside players like Maradona and Schuster, and served as captain during the 1991/92 Champions League final, leading the team to victory. After playing 518 games and scoring 58 goals for Barça, Alexanko retired with 17 titles to his name.
Andoni Zubizarreta was signed by Barcelona for 150 million pesetas in 1986, and his career is remembered for being part of Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team,” where he was the number one goalkeeper until 1994. Zubizarreta made a total of 494 appearances for Barcelona, with the 0-4 loss against AC Milan in the 1993/94 Champions League final marking the end of his Barça career.
Interestingly, current Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde also managed Barcelona, leading the team to two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and one Spanish Super Cup. The long-standing relationship between the two clubs, through both coaches and eleven (soon to be twelve) players, demonstrates a rich history of connections.