Barcelona Slammed for 'Deceptive Tactics' in Nico Williams Chase

Barcelona face allegations of dishonesty in their media coverage regarding their chase of Nico Williams during the earlier part of this season, with elder sibling Iñaki asserting the Catalan club inflicted "significant harm".

A highly publicized courtship had unfolded following Euro 2024, with Nico Williams choosing to remain at Athletic Club. Nevertheless, widespread reports emerged last month suggesting the Spanish national team player and Barcelona had achieved a verbal understanding on individual contract terms.

The transfer story continued without resolution, amid suggestions that Williams was seeking guarantees about registration eligibility, having observed the awkward Dani Olmo situation from the previous campaign.

However, matters appeared to fall through, with Williams instead penning a fresh decade-long deal with Athletic Club. Barcelona subsequently acquired Marcus Rashford via loan arrangement, with president Joan Laporta later stating this was his favored transaction all along, claiming Williams ranked lowest on his priority list.

Laporta had also publicly stated that Nico's representative contacted Barça initially, then suggesting there existed "significant disparity in approach" regarding payment structures, representative fees and additional factors, which allegedly caused negotiations to break down while deflecting responsibility from his organization.

Iñaki Williams now states much of what has been publicly discussed and shared with media outlets is false, even suggesting the choice to remain in Bilbao was "essentially" already determined prior to the Barça episode.

"We're all aware of how football operates," the older Williams informed journalists during Athletic Club's pre-season preparations.

"[Barcelona] sought to exert influence on Athleticzales, on my sibling. They orchestrated a media strategy they believed would succeed. I believe, we, Athletic as an institution, when we pursue a player, we conduct business discreetly."

"It's caused significant damage," Williams added. "It's tarnished many aspects. Numerous statements they made, information leaked to press or social platforms, were fabrications. I'll be frank, my brother had essentially made his choice [to remain], but we still needed to structure and draft a contract of considerable magnitude. To commit through 2035. You couldn't simply announce it overnight."