According to Spanish publication Sport, Arsenal maintain an interest in signing Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams during the ongoing transfer window.
The Gunners recently confirmed the signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge to bolster the left wing department, but they are aiming for another marquee acquisition for the role ahead of the new season.
Morgan Rogers was the prime target for manager Mikel Arteta. Arsenal were confident of striking an agreement with Aston Villa before Chelsea hijacked their pursuit with a £117 million deal.
Arsenal now need to look at alternatives in the transfer market. Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola has been a target, but it has emerged that Liverpool are in the ‘driving seat‘ to land him now.
Sport now claim that the Gunners continue to retain an interest in signing Williams, and they have ‘definitely not given up’ on securing his signature from Athletic despite his big contract renewal.
Unlikely deal
Williams raised eyeballs by penning a 10-year contract with Athletic last summer. He was on the radar of Arsenal and Barcelona but ended up committing his long-term future to the Basque Country outfit.
He has since had an injury-plagued campaign with the La Liga side. Williams turned up only 32 times for Athletic in the recent season, but he still managed 13 goal contributions across all competitions for them.
The Spaniard was injured for almost 20 matches in the campaign, but he still got the nod in Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup squad alongside Arsenal’s Mikel Merino, who was likewise returning from a foot surgery.
Merino played a big part for La Roja with winning goals in the round of 16 and quarter-final. Williams was a regular substitute like Merino and made a notable mark in the final against Argentina last weekend.
He was denied a goal by VAR in extra-time but made amends with a fantastic headed assist for Ferran Torres’ winner. Gunners manager Mikel Arteta was previously a keen admirer of Williams, and the interest could be revived.
However, there is a risk with his recent run of injuries and fitness issues, which could be a roadblock. Furthermore, the financials involved could also hamper the Gunners’ prospects of landing his signature from Athletic.
He has a release clause worth £77 million in his contract, but his wages worth £282,000 per week could be a deal-breaker.
Arsenal have only Bukayo Saka earning over £300,000 per week and Williams’ recent form does not justify being paid more than the Gunners graduate. The club could resist pursuing a deal for the Spaniard as a result.
