Arsenal's bid to sign a winger in the summer transfer window could still see them land Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams in the coming months, according to reports - with the Gunners reportedly having the Spanish international as their 'top target' for the summer.
Williams has been a revelation for both Bilbao and Spain, tallying 61 goal contributions for the Basque outfit in just 167 games, whilst 13 goals and assists combined for La Roja has put the 22-year-old down as one of the best young talents in the world. Premier League hopefuls Arsenal are interested, and are continuing to seek a deal despite competition elsewhere.
Report: Williams 'Top of Arsenal's Shortlist'
The Gunners are in dire need of a winger to join their ranks
Nico Williams in action for Athletic Bilbao
The report by Fabrizio Romano on X (formerly Twitter) states that Williams is at the top of Arsenal's shopping list this summer, with the Gunners vying to bring in a new winger for Mikel Arteta, who dreams of signing the attacker.
Nico Williams's Premier League statistics - Bilbao squad ranking
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Raheem Sterling's failed loan spell means that Bukayo Saka once again needs competition on the right flank, and with Leandro Trossard also able to contend with the Englishman for the foreseeable, Williams would then represent an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli on the opposite wing to make the Gunners a real feared outfit going forward in terms of pace, directness and output - being labelled as 'frightening' by BBC reporter John Bennett.
Romano further states that Bayern Munich have met twice with Williams' representatives this month, and more meetings will follow, whilst Bilbao are also set to offer the youngster a new contract. But with Williams boasting a €58million (£49.3million) release clause, that is a deal that is relatively cheap in comparison to other wingers on the market, and the Spain star could make his way to the capital in the coming months.
Williams is also thought to have high salary requests, but with a race to sign him, he could get his demands with Arsenal keen on adding to their forward ranks to finally win the Premier League and the Champions League.
The Gunners have come second in each of the past three Premier League seasons, and Arteta will be gunning more than ever to finally get a title over the line, having not secured any silverware for the last five years since their triumph in the FA Cup back in 2020.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 13-06-25.
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