'Emotional pressure': Barcelona hit out at Athletic over Nico Williams

Tensions have escalated between the two clubs amid growing speculation linking Williams with a summer move to Barcelona. This time, the Catalans have pointed the finger at Athletic, claiming the player is being subjected to undue emotional influence.

The remarks came from Rafa Yuste, Barcelona's vice-president for economic affairs, speaking on Monday following the Spanish Football Federation's General Assembly, held in Las Rozas.

Yuste was asked by journalists about the club's pursuit of Nico Williams, widely reported as the club's top transfer target this summer.

He expressed his dismay at Athletic's apparent hostility: "It seems the Athletic board are not particularly pleased with Barcelona. I don't understand it, because relations with Bilbao have always been excellent," Yuste said.

"The members of Bilbao are intelligent enough to understand that, in Spain or anywhere in the world, if a player wants to leave a club, he will. If he doesn't, he'll stay," he added.

Barcelona's economic vice-president called for calm, urging Athletic to "lower the tension". "In this case, it's coming from Bilbao, because what they're doing is applying emotional pressure—something that can bring no real joy to the club's supporters," Yuste concluded.