They leaked lies — Inaki Williams accuses Barcelona of bullying his brother

Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams has accused Barcelona of launching an internet smear campaign targeted at his brother.

Nico Williams, Inaki’s brother, had reached a verbal agreement with the Blaugrana on a transfer this window. However, he made a U-turn, rejecting them for the second consecutive summer to stay at Athletic Club.

The older Williams brother spoke to the press recently when he was asked about his brother's near-transfer to the Catalan club and the reaction to his decision to continue at his boyhood club. 

Inaki spoke passionately, calling out the vitriolic reaction to the transfer saga, even those perpetrated by the Athletic fanbase. 

“We know how the world of football works and the pressure they wanted to exert on the fans with a media campaign that they thought was going to work for them,” he said, per ESPN. 

“The external noise has done a lot of damage and soiled many things; what was leaking were lies. My brother had made the decision quite a bit, but a very long contract had to be drawn up until 2035. It could not be made public overnight.

“Nico was vandalised twice, with the mural and when they broke the glass of his car. These are things that are not known, and it is very easy from the sofa to say why you do this. Watching my brother suffer has not been easy.

“There were more teams (than only Barcelona) that bid for my brother and I’m not surprised. He is a player with a very low and affordable clause; it was candy for the big teams. It has not been easy, with a lot of noise, with an incredible media campaign towards a world-class footballer.”

Nico signed a contract extension with the Bilbao-based side until 2035. His release clause was also increased to a value close to €100m.