‘I didn’t pressure him’… Inaki Williams reveals more about the transfer saga between Nico Williams and Barcelona | OneFootball

Every summer, it is normal to see FC Barcelona be linked to various players and potential targets. After all, a club as prestigious as that is often used for attention in the media. However, there are definitely some cases that Barcelona is certainly involved with.

This summer, the most prominent operation for quite a few weeks was the potential arrival of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams. However, despite being heavily linked to the Catalan club and with negotiations having been confirmed as well, the player ultimately renewed his contract with the Basque club.

Following the failure of that operation, Barcelona president Joan Laporta even provided some insight regarding it. From differing valuations and conditions to the inability of the parties to meet certain deadlines, many things went wrong according to Laporta.

Inaki Williams defends his younger brother

Nico Williams was heavily linked to Barcelona this summer. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

However, Nico’s brother Inaki Williams recently spoke on the matter as well. As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, the Athletic Club captain and veteran defended his younger brother and stated that things have not been fair for him this summer:

“From a family point of view, it’s been a bit complicated because there’s been a lot of talk about my brother, and much of what was said about Nico was false. All he’s done is stay silent. Everyone has the right to think and reflect on their future. But at many points this summer, people haven’t been fair to my brother.”

He also emphasised how the decision to stay and not join some major club, although he made sure to not mention Barcelona by name, was not easy for Nico Williams either:

“The decision wasn’t easy for him. His maturity has been incredible. He had a lot of options and chose to stay with Athletic. The club is making great strides. This is one of the best teams we’ve had in the twelve years I’ve been in the first team.”

The Athletic Club forward also highlighted other instances of the younger of the two brothers being targeted and being put under external pressure as well:

“A lot of teams wanted him because he’s a top-level player, and the clause was easy to meet. He was a very tempting target for the big clubs. It wasn’t easy because all the outside noise can make you doubt, but he made the best decision.“

A possible dig at Barcelona

However, he further elaborated that a lot of things being said about his brother were lies and he potentially even took a sly dig at Barcelona by suggesting that the Basque club prefers to work in silence:

“We all know how the football world works and the pressure they tried to put on Athletic fans and on my brother… It was a media campaign they probably thought would work. We, as Athletic, when we want a player, we do things quietly. All that outside noise caused a lot of harm and distorted the truth. Because much of what was being said, what was leaked to the media or shared on social media, was a lie.”

As for Nico’s new contract at Athletic Club, Inaki Williams clarified that it was a rather long draft to sort out and even made sure to highlight certain events that affected his younger brother:

“He had things pretty clear, but it was about finalizing and drafting a very long contract that would keep him at the club until 2035. There were things that dirtied the process—like the two times his mural was vandalized, people showing up at his house, the broken car window… Things that people don’t always hear about, but they affect a player, even when he’s already made his decision. Seeing my brother suffer like that, as Athletic captain, hasn’t been easy.”

The Athletic Club veteran clarifies his own position

Moreover, with people believing that Inaki Williams played a key role in stopping Nico Williams from joining Barcelona this summer, the Athletic Club veteran defended his own position and stated that he had no part to play in it:

“Many teams wanted him—and he’s only 22. He stayed quiet, and many times I had to calm him down because he was seeing things he didn’t like. We had lots of calls and video calls over this time. Athletic fans need to understand that making a life decision like this isn’t easy. The decision was his, and I didn’t pressure him.”

Ultimately, however, that operation is now in the past and it looks essentially impossible for Barcelona and the young winger to ever cross paths like this again. Instead, the club chose to count on Marcus Rashford, who has joined the Catalan side on a loan deal from Manchester United.