According to Football Insider, Arsenal are leading the race among Premier League clubs to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams during the summer transfer window.
The Spain international was heavily linked with the north London giants last summer but nothing materialised in the end. He ended up committing his future to Athletic on a staggering 10-year contract.
Despite this, the versatile winger has a £87 million release clause in his deal and there is a possibility that he could depart from his boyhood club when the transfer window reopens during the summer.
The Gunners are likely to pursue a marquee left-sided winger at the end of the campaign with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli having lacked consistency with their performances this term.
Unlikely deal
Arsenal have explored the possibility of signing the Spanish star in the past. They looked at triggering his previous £49 million release clause, but a move never came to fruition as the La Liga outfit wanted the package in one payment.
The Gunners, on the other hand, preferred a long-term settlement. With Williams’ buy-out clause having increased to a hefty £87 million, Mikel Arteta’s side seem unlikely to pursue his signature during the forthcoming transfer window.
Arteta is an admirer of the versatile attacker who can operate on either wing. He has dazzled with his dribbling and finishing skills in the past, but the 23-year-old has had a disappointing season thus far with just 4 goals and 6 assists in all competitions.
The Euro 2024 winner has also struggled with injury concerns and he is presently sidelined due to a sports hernia. There are genuine concerns that he may not even be picked by Spain for the World Cup in North America this summer.
Williams obviously has immense potential in him, but the Gunners could be wary of spending big money on a player, who has looked far from his old self this season, and has had several fitness issues over the course of the ongoing campaign.
Arsenal’s former target Rodrygo is likewise unavailable after a serious long-term injury. They could prefer someone with Premier League experience and Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon could emerge as a realistic summer target.
