Arsenal have received a major boost in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, as reported by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
The Gunners have been strongly linked with the Spanish international, with Mikel Arteta reportedly making him a top priority for the summer transfer window.
Williams, 22, had also been a key target for Barcelona, who nearly secured his signature. The Catalan giants were eager to bring the Euro 2024 winner to the Nou Camp last year.
However, Arsenal’s chances of signing Williams have now significantly improved, as Barcelona have shifted their focus to Liverpool’s Luis Díaz.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana, now under Hansi Flick, had been pushing to sign Williams but faced financial constraints that prevented them from completing the deal.
With Barcelona now prioritizing Díaz, Arsenal have a clearer path to securing Williams’ services this summer.
The Spanish winger, who has a £48 million release clause, played a crucial role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, earning the Man of the Match award in the final after scoring in the decisive game.
Since making his senior debut for Athletic Club in 2021, Williams has netted 24 goals in 152 appearances, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most exciting young prospects.
With Barcelona stepping aside, Arsenal are now in a strong position to push for his signature as they look to bolster their squad ahead of the new season.
The Gunners need attacking reinforcements this summer after failing to strengthen their frontline in the winter window, despite being in a tight title race with Liverpool.
Bringing in Williams would provide Arteta with much-needed depth and versatility in attack, complementing Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
His speed, dribbling ability, and capacity to play on either flank could add a new dimension to Arsenal’s offensive play.
The Gunners’ need for attacking reinforcements was evident in their recent clash with Leicester, where two late goals from Mikel Merino secured the win.
Arsenal pay the fine as England legend returns and Kane doubtful for Celtic clash
Arsenal have been fined for their response to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card last month, Chloe Kelly has returned to the England squad after Arsenal teammate Beth Mead withdrew due to injury, and Harry Kane is a doubt for Bayern Munich ahead of their Champions League clash with Celtic.
The Gunners were handed a £65,000 fine by the Football Association after their players confronted referee Michael Oliver during last month’s 1-0 win over Wolves.
Lewis-Skelly was controversially sent off for a challenge on Matt Doherty, prompting Arsenal players to surround Oliver in protest. However, the red card was later overturned on appeal.
Manager Mikel Arteta was furious with the decision, which sparked debate among pundits over whether the sending-off was justified.
The FA also released the written reasons for the fine, with the aggravating factors including: “When the red card was shown, only two Arsenal players were in relatively close proximity to the referee, with none in his immediate vicinity.
“A number of players travelled some distance to engage with the referee following the sending-off. From the footage one can clearly see the intensity of the protests made by the Arsenal players. There were, at times, nine Arsenal players in very close proximity to the referee.
“The caution administered by the referee does not end the misconduct, as would be expected.
“The duration of the misconduct, the close proximity of the players to the referee, the number of players involved and the failure to desist/disperse when the referee indicates for them to do so all render this a serious matter and serve to aggravate the misconduct.
“Arsenal ought to be credited for admitting the charge. The red card issued being overturned on appeal does not justify the reaction of Arsenal’s players surrounding the match referee and affords no mitigation.”
Chloe Kelly has been called up to the England squad as a replacement for her injured Arsenal teammate Beth Mead.
The forward is one of two late additions ahead of the Lionesses’ Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain, with Aston Villa defender Lucy Parker also stepping in for Lotte Wubben-Moy, who has withdrawn.
Kelly, currently on loan at Arsenal from Manchester City, made her first appearance in her second spell with the Gunners as a substitute in their 5-0 win over rivals Tottenham on Sunday.
Her call-up marks another twist in a dramatic few months for the 27-year-old, who was left out of England’s last squad due to limited playing time, as confirmed by manager Sarina Wiegman last week.
Kelly, who famously scored the winning goal in the 2022 Euros final against Germany, publicly expressed her frustrations in January over a lack of minutes at Manchester City, a situation she said had taken a toll on her mental health.
Meanwhile, Pascal Struijk’s stoppage-time header secured a dramatic 2-1 victory for Leeds over fellow Championship promotion contenders Sunderland at Elland Road.
Struijk, who had already equalized late in the game, nodded in the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Wilson Isidor had given Sunderland a deserved lead at halftime.
Daniel Farke’s side extended their unbeaten league run to 15 matches, reclaiming the top spot in the table and moving 10 points clear of fourth-placed Sunderland, whose eight-game unbeaten streak came to an end.
