Premier League giants Arsenal are reportedly making a strong push to sign Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams, with a ‘serious offer’ said to be on the table for the dynamic winger.
The Gunners lost crucial ground in the Premier League title race after a 1-1 draw with Brentford, allowing Liverpool to open up a 13-point lead with just six matches left in the season.
However, Arsenal bounced back in spectacular fashion by defeating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabéu, securing a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory to reach the Champions League semi-finals — a result that could boost their appeal to top targets like Williams.
Champions League success would not only mark a major milestone for Mikel Arteta’s squad but also enhance the club’s leverage in the upcoming transfer window.
Arteta has already promised a “big summer” of recruitment, and adding a player of Williams’ caliber would signal serious intent ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Arteta recently commented: “It’s going to be a big one and we are very excited about it.
“The way we planned the five first summers, they were going to be very big and they were going to have different objectives because the turnaround of players and the objective of those windows was going to be different.
“But now when you are going to go again, we want to increase the depth of the squad but as well we want to increase the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step.”
Reports emerging from Spain suggest that Nico Williams is preparing to make a decisive move away from Barcelona, with plans to join Arsenal in the Premier League, marking what is being described as his “final betrayal” of the Catalan club.
The report adds:
‘With Barca’s inactivity, Arsenal have decided to take action. The London club, which has previously expressed interest, is willing to make a firm offer as soon as the summer transfer window opens. According to sources close to the player, the Gunners see Nico as a key player to strengthen their flanks and are willing to pay the player’s €58 million release clause .
‘Mikel Arteta has asked the club to make an effort to sign the Spanish international, as he believes his profile would fit perfectly into Arsenal’s system: speed, speed, youth, and room for improvement. Furthermore, the possibility of playing in the Champions League and competing for titles in England is increasingly appealing to the player.’
The report continues:
‘Arsenal’s offer is serious, ambitious, and comes at the best possible time , just as Barça has decided to take a step back.’
Arsenal legend Alan Smith has expressed doubt over a potential move for Nico Williams, admitting he’d be “surprised” to see the Athletic Bilbao winger join the Gunners due to his overlap with Bukayo Saka’s position.
Smith said earlier this year: “Nico Williams can play on that side but when Saka’s back, it’s such a difficult conundrum really when you try to find an understudy for an automatic starter in Saka.
“Nico Williams wouldn’t be wanting to come to a club and then find himself sitting on the bench. He’s obviously a very good young player, so again, whether Arsenal will pursue something like that, I’m not sure. They’ve got to tread a fine line in the transfer market at the moment and I’m sure they’re thinking about it all the time, especially at this moment in the season when things aren’t great.
“I would be a little surprised if Nico Williams came, I’ve gotta say. Whether he can play in a central position or on the wings, I don’t know but certainly when Saka’s fit, he’s not going to get in on the right.”
