Goal has reported that Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in signing Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.
The 20-year-old is currently a part of Luis Enrique’s 26-man Spanish squad at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Williams was awarded a national call-up by Enrique due to his impressive performances for Bilbao this season. The Spaniard has already scored four goals and has assisted as many times in his 15 appearances for his club this season.
The report has revealed that Arsenal and Liverpool are among the clubs keeping a close watch on Williams. The likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also monitoring his situation. Goal claims that his contract contains a £43 million release clause, which could be tempting for his potential suitors either in January or next summer.
Arsenal have been active in their search for a new winger as Mikel Arteta needs support for Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. The North London club have been strongly linked with Mykkhaylo Mudryk but Shakhtar Donetsk have insisted that he could cost in excess of £87 million (€100 million). This could be too expensive for the Gunners, so Williams may have been identified as a cheaper alternative.
Liverpool are also being tipped to strengthen their squad after a disappointing start to the season. The Reds have struggled without Sadio Mane so Jurgen Klopp could be eyeing Williams as the player to add some spark to his front-line.
Our View
Nico Williams is still an unpolished diamond but under the right guidance, he could develop into a top class winger. Williams has also been racking up impressive displays for Spain in Qatar, coming off the bench.
He has an explosive pair of legs and a decent shot to go with it. Passing is also one of his strong suits and he draws in fouls, which often has a tactical edge to it, so it’s easy to see why the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool are being linked.
It could only be a matter of time before other clubs begin to notice the right-winger though, the clubs interested in him must move quickly as Bilbao are planning on handing Williams a new contract, which would see his release clause increase significantly. His current deal with the Basque club currently expires in 2024.
