Arsenal are primed to move for Nico Williams, following stunning displays at Euro 2024.
The Spain winger has been in electric form over the last month. Williams scored the opener in the final in Berlin on Sunday, and alongside 17-year-old Lamine Yamal on the opposite flank, was one of the big reasons that Luis de la Fuente's side triumphed.
Williams is very much a man in demand. Chelsea are said to be interested, too, but a new report states that the Basque winger is a “priority” for Arsenal, who are in the market for cover for Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on either flank.
Sport in Spain, via Sport Witness, calls Williams the “chosen one” for Arsenal. Apparently, the Athletic Club star is the Gunners' “favourite option” for the left wing, too.
Spanish outlet AS reported earlier this month that Arsenal are firmly in the race for the 22-year-old alongside Barcelona, who may struggle to compete financially with the Premier League sides. The north Londoners have been working on deals for other players, however, such as Riccardo Calafiori and Williams' Euros-winning team-mate, Mikel Merino.
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In FourFourTwo's opinion, this would be a dream transfer for Arsenal – and there's no doubting that he's on the radar. The only issue is the financial side.
Though we understand that Williams has a £50 million release clause, that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the money needed to sign him. The starlet will likely demand upwards of £250,000 a week to leave Athletic, which could threaten Mikel Arteta's carefully assembled wage structure.
Arsenal have struggled in the past to shift big earners, leading to a culture of terminating contracts rather than selling. It's telling that targets for this transfer window, such as Calafiori and Merino, are low earners at their respective clubs: Calafiori, for example, is rumoured to only be on £15,000-a-week at Bologna.
It remains to be seen as to whether Arteta would be willing to add Williams to the upper echelon of the Emirates' salary bill. The likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus all earn the most at the club – and signing a high-wage 22-year-old, unproven in English football and not necessarily a starter, doesn't seem like the kind of move that the Basque boss would engineer.
Currently, the Gunners have Saka, Martinelli, Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson as options out wide, with the latter expected to leave. Signing Williams would be huge for Arsenal – but a departure may have to take place as a result.
Transfermarkt states that Williams is worth €60m. His contract expires in 2017.
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