Arsenal’s pursuit of a new left winger is well and truly underway with an increasing number of players from across Europe being linked with a move to London as Mikel Arteta hopes to complete a priority signing sooner rather than later.
El Nacional has reported that the Gunners are now considering a switch for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who they have been linked with since several months, alongside a number of other Premier League sides.
William shunned interest from Barcelona and clubs in England to pen a long-term deal last year but is believed to be considering his future this summer after Ernesto Valverde’s exit as Bilbao’s head coach and their failure to qualify for the Champions League.
He has a release clause of £77 million in his contract at San Mames, according to the source, and given that his employers have a strong bargaining power over his future, the Gunners may need to pay the amount rather than negotiate a favourable price.
Williams not worth a lucrative investment
Nico Williams had a brilliant campaign in 2024/25 but his quality has visibly dropped in the last year or so. His sharpness, chance creation and output in front of goal has reduced season after season, while his impact for Spain is also minimal.
Off the back of an underwhelming season with Athletic Bilbao coupled with a barren World Cup so far, it would come as a massive surprise if Arsenal agreed to pay a big sum for him, especially with a number of other options already available to them.
Morgan Rogers, thanks to his extensive Premier League experience, is believed to be Arsenal’s top priority for the left wing, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, who is very consistent in the final third, is considered an alternative.
As far as Williams is concerned, it will be interesting to see where his future lies but it is safe to assume that it might not be at the Emirates Stadium, at least next season onwards.
Other News
