Kompany is said to like Williamsplaceholder image
Kompany is said to like Williams | Getty Images
Arsenal and Chelsea have been dealt a fresh blow in their reported bid to land a top-class attacker.
Arsenal and Chelsea have been handed a big concern amid their reported interest in a top-class attacker this summer. Both Arsenal and Chelsea need to sign a winger this summer as they prepare for next season when both clubs will want to compete for the Premier League title.
The Blues and Gunners need additions aplenty this summer, and both have started making inroads, but signing world-class players is not easy to pull off, and we have already seen clubs struggle to get deals over the line early in the summer. Chelsea have come up short in their bids to sign Jamie Gittens and Mike Maignan, while Arsenal have struggled to get a deal agreed to land RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
One player both clubs have been linked with is Athletic Club and Spain superstar Nico Williams, who is available for £51million due to a release clause in his contract, though clubs have been put off by the fact that clause must be paid in one upfront payment. There is also the question of Williams’ high wage demands, with the Spaniard likely to demand big wages, especially if he is going to be lured away from Spain, where he is said to be very happy.
In a fresh blow to Arsenal and Chelsea, journalist Christian Falk has issued an update, claiming the clause will be no issue for Bayern Munich. He wrote on his Daily Briefing: “Nico Williams is actually the top target for Bayern. Bayern have already met with Williams’ team. Max Eberl is said to have met with the representatives around the Nations League final in Munich. The transfer fee of €60m is not a problem.
“Bayern can pay the clause. It's all about the salary at the moment. Are Williams' expectations really as high as recently reported? €24m, as rumoured, would be the absolute upper limit for Bayern. But there could be a problem with time. Eberl has to sell players first. The club is therefore currently looking for buyers for Kingsley Coman. So far, however, there has been no concrete offer from Saudi Arabia. The player would go there for a high salary.
“The Bayern bosses are trying to get a head start in the poker. You already know that Nico Williams is also on Arsenal’s and Chelsea’s radar. But his club, Athletic Bilbao, is also trying to convince him to stay, wanting to give him a higher salary and a new contract.”
Williams’ big decision
There have also been reports this week that Athletic Club have begun contract talks with Williams over a new deal. The club’s Basque-only policy means they are very cash rich, and so a wage increase is something they can pull off if the winger wants to stay put.
If they do agree a new contract, it’s likely they will raise the release clause, but they cannot remove it altogether due to Spanish laws. The problem for Athletic Club is that they will have to convince the winger to turn down the chance to join a club ready to win titles while Arsenal, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and others will be trying to convince him to make that step.
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