Why ‘b*stards of Barcelona’ Lamine Yamal & Alejandro Balde ‘didn’t help’ Nico Williams during summer transfer saga

After starring for Spain during their Euro 2024 triumph, Williams saw a big-money move away from Athletic Club speculated on. At one point he appeared destined to join international colleagues Yamal and Balde in Catalunya.

No deal was done, with the exciting 22-year-old winger eventually opting to spend at least one more season in Bilbao. Williams has revealed that Spain colleagues plying their trade at Barcelona used to text him “all the time” as speculation regarding his future raged.

Williams has told La Revuelta of how he handled that situation, as supposed friends sought to wind him up by asking incessant questions: “It was difficult. On top of that, the 'bastards' of [Barca] Lamine and Balde and others didn't help. They would say to me ‘brother come now, come now’.”

Barca did end up signing Spain star Dani Olmo, but missed out on Williams. He is still receiving plenty of messages on social media, with the talented forward adding: “It's difficult to distance yourself from that. I still get messages despite not being linked. It's a bit of everything. Many people say ‘go to Barca’ and others say ‘we don't need you anymore’.”

Barcelona are not the only side to have been linked with Williams, as Premier League heavyweights cast admiring glances in his direction, and it is considered to be only a matter of time before he severs ties with Athletic Club.