Arsenal and Chelsea have both moved ahead in the race to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams.
The Gunners have been linked with Williams since last summer, and still remain the front-runners to land the Spanish international despite Chelsea also being linked to him.
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Williams has made 44 appearances for Athletic Bilbao this season, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in all competitions. He broke out into prominence for Bilbao last season, earning him a spot in the Spain squad for Euro 2024. That is where he was really able to impress.
Arsenal have since held a very strong interest in the 22-year-old, who has a £48m release clause in his contract, however, he is reportedly asking for very high wage demands of over £200k per-week, which would make him one of the highest-paid Arsenal players.
The Gunners, alongside Chelsea, have been handed a boost in the race for Williams, as Barcelona’s President Joan Laporta has said that the club are no longer considering a move for the winger. He told TV3: “He was one of the candidates last summer, we were evaluating [Dani] Olmo and Nico.
“We have a good profile of this player, who is an excellent player, but I think at this moment we are evaluating other options.”
With that in mind, both Arsenal and Chelsea are now in a superb position to sign the Spanish winger this summer, and it may simply come down to which club Williams would rather play for.
Arsenal have two Williams alternatives
If the Gunners fail to land the winger, they do have two players in mind who could be alternatives to spending big on the Bilbao star.
Firstly, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has been linked. He is expected to cost more than Williams at a price of £54m, however, he is less risky, as he has Premier League experience, and likely won’t demand £200k per week.
Furthermore, Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane is also a reported target, as his contract is due to expire in June making him available for free. He also has extensive Premier League experience, and also worked under Mikel Arteta at Manchester City.
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