- Ghana forward Inaki Williams has taken a swipe at Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona
- He criticised the club for what he described as dishonesty surrounding his brother Nico Williams’ collapsed move
- The La Liga champions reignited their interest in Nico this summer after an unsuccessful pursuit the previous year
Inaki Williams has fiercely criticised FC Barcelona, accusing the Spanish giants of fabricating stories and orchestrating a deliberate media campaign to unsettle his younger brother, Nico Williams.
The Spanish-born Ghanaian forward didn’t hold back as he exposed what he described as underhanded tactics used by the La Liga champions in their attempt to lure Nico away from Athletic Club.
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Unpacking Barcelona’s failed move for Nico Williams
Barcelona’s renewed chase for Nico Williams began earlier this summer, a year after their initial interest failed to materialise.
While the Catalan side reportedly had other targets, including Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Nico’s camp had reportedly reached out to sporting director Deco to express openness to a move.
But as weeks dragged on with no clarity over whether Barcelona could even register new players due to financial constraints, Nico made a definitive call.
According to ESPN, he signed a long-term deal with Athletic Club that keeps him in Bilbao until 2035.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta later confirmed this version, stating Diaz and Rashford were always priorities, according to Goal.
Yet, Inaki believes the truth was far from what was portrayed publicly.
Inaki Williams slams Barcelona
Speaking during pre-season, Inaki took aim at what he described as a well-orchestrated attempt to manipulate the situation through the media.
His frustration was evident as he laid bare the mental and emotional strain the situation caused his brother.
“We all know how the world of football works. They wanted to apply pressure on Athletic, on my brother.
“They put together a media campaign that they thought would work. I think, us, Athletic as a club, when we want a player, we do it under the radar,” Inaki said, as quoted by Football Espana.
How Barcelona’s lies affected the Williams family
For Inaki, the issue extended far beyond a failed transfer.
The 31-year-old revealed the ripple effects were felt deeply by the family, particularly Nico, who bore the brunt of the fallout.
“It’s done a lot of damage. It’s sullied a lot of things. Many of the things that they said, that were leaked to the media or on social media, were lies.
“I’ll be honest, my brother had more or less taken the decision, but we still had to put together and redact a contract that was very large. To commit until 2035. You couldn’t just announce it from one day to the next,” he explained.
What began as transfer rumours eventually spiralled into acts of aggression and harassment.
According to the Black Stars striker, the saga triggered real-world consequences that the public barely witnessed.
As the captain of Athletic Club and a protective older brother, Inaki shared how painful it was to watch Nico endure a storm of criticism and emotional strain while trying to make a major career decision.
Four Ghanaians who captained clubs in Europe before Williams
Earlier, YEN.com.gh spotlighted four Ghanaian footballers who proudly led their European clubs as captains long before Inaki Williams earned the armband at Athletic Club.
The 31-year-old forward reached this major career milestone at the tail end of the 2025/26 season.
Source: YEN.com.gh
