Arsenal have been “in contact” with the representatives of Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams, according to Bild reporter Christian Falk.
The German journalist says that Bayern Munich are also keen on the Spanish international but the Gunners are very much in the mix as well.
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Williams has a release clause worth between €60m (£50m) and €80m (£67m) in his contract and he is known to be a long-term target for manager Mikel Arteta.
Reports earlier this week claimed that the 22-year-old is on a seven-player shortlist that incoming sporting director Andrea Berta is looking to sign this summer.
Why do Arsenal want to sign the player?
Williams lit up the European Championships when Spain won the tournament last year and he has been a man in demand ever since. However, up until recently, the Spaniard had been holding out for a move to Barcelona.
With Barca now said to have cooled their interest, the winger is believed to be more open to making the switch abroad.
Arteta is keen on strengthening his options on the left flank. Gabriel Martinelli has struggled for form over the past two seasons, while Leandro Trossard doesn’t possess the quality necessary to start on a regular basis.
Williams is on the radar of other Premier League teams
Although Falk only mentions Bayern as a potential competitor for Arsenal, it should be noted that Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham have been linked with Williams in recent months.
Out of those three clubs, Spurs are unlikely to be a threat considering their position in the table, while Liverpool have plenty of left-wingers already.
Chelsea, on the other hand, do need to replace the suspended Mykhailo Mudryk and they have considered moves for the likes of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho. You can’t rule them out from going after Williams.
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