Arsenal are in the market for a new winger this summer.placeholder image
Arsenal are in the market for a new winger this summer. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Barcelona remain frontrunners to sign the Euro 2024 winner but Arsenal are reported to still be in the race.
Barcelona look strong frontrunners to recruit Williams but it had emerged that Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta was readying a ‘concrete push’ to bring the player to the Emirates Stadium. As well as a central midfielder and striker, Arsenal are looking to recruit a winger this summer.
There are some questions marks over the future of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli with neither perhaps the ideal long term option under Mikel Arteta. Bukayo Saka has his right wing berth nailed down but Arsenal had to trust 18-year-old Ethan Nwaneri at times when the England international was injured last term.
Arsenal table Nico Williams contract offer
Williams’ agent Felix Tainta is said to have met with Barcelona director Deco with the Catalan club the strongest option for the winger. The Bilbao star is said to be willing to turn down more lucrative contract offers for the chance to join the La Liga giants.
The winger has a reported £49 million release clause in his deal and it had been claimed that Berta would push to activate that soon to show how serious Arsenal intent is. Now, Sport believe that the Gunners have already laid their cards on the table with a contract offer too, tabling a £7.7 million per year offer.
Williams is a product of the Bilbao youth academy and won the 2024 Copa del Rey with the club. He’s made 167 appearances for the club, scoring 31 goals and registering 30 assists for the team.
Jose Mourinho predicts big things for Bilbao star Williams
The winger was part of the Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament and the 2025 Europa League Team of the Season. He has been named the La Liga Player of the Month twice, in August 2023 and December 2023.
The Bilbao forward was one of the stars of Euro 2024 and earned praise from former Premier League manager Jose Mourinho for his exploits. Mourinho went as far as to suggest that Williams’ potential exceeded that of wonderkid Lamine Yamal, in quotes that will be enticing for Gunners supporters.
He said: “During the European Championship, people were talking a lot about Lamine Yamal, who is obviously another wonderful kid, but I personally prefer Nico. He’s a fantastic player. You can’t think that a Turkish club can sign the boy. I hope he ends up at Real Madrid.”
Bayern Munich and Chelsea are also clubs linked with the player. The German club have had ‘several meetings’ between Williams’ agents and Bayern sporting director Max Eberl. Last week journalist Christian Falk 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.”
In other news, Arsenal sign £49m winger, Brazil star and Man Utd target in dream starting XI if transfer rumours are true.
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