“I will join Arsenal next season but if only they sign this particular striker, I can’t play with Kai Havertz as a striker, he’ll waste my assists”: Arsenal top transfer target Nico Williams has named his own preferred striker to Arsenal
Arsenal have reportedly entered discussions with Nico Williams’s camp over a summer deal for the Athletic Bilbao attacker, who is also wanted by Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Gunners were understood to be one of several clubs interested in signing the Euro 2024 winner during the last summer window, but Williams turned down the chance to leave San Mames.
The 22-year-old has not quite been able to hit the same heights he showed in Germany last summer, but he has still come up with a praiseworthy nine goals and seven assists from 36 matches in all tournaments this season.
Williams was at his best against Roma in the Europa League last 16 in the week, bagging a brace to help his side advance to the quarter-finals with a 3-1 second-leg win and 4-3 aggregate triumph.
However, even if Athletic can clinch the continental crown in their home city and qualify for the Champions League, they may be powerless to prevent Williams from moving on ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Could Arsenal have advantage over Bayern in Williams race?
The winger’s contract in Bilbao only runs for another two seasons until the summer of 2027, and his terms are said to include a release clause ranging from €60m (£50.6m) to €80m (£67.5m).
According to journalist Christian Falk, Arsenal have already been touching base with Williams’s camp to explore a move for the Athletic attacker this summer, but they will not have a clear run at his signature.
Falk also claims that Bundesliga leaders Bayern are in the mix for Williams’s services, as Vincent Kompany’s side could lose Leroy Sane for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the season.
However, Bayern may already be at a disadvantage in the race, as Bild states that the Munich giants may have to offload players such as Sane, Kingsley Coman and ex-Arsenal product Serge Gnabry before they can pursue any new arrivals.
Furthermore, Bayern are apparently hopeful of signing the £84m-rated Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, and they may not be able to afford both the German and Spaniard in the same window.
Will Arsenal sell a player to make room for Williams?
Should Williams make the move to the Emirates this summer, he will no doubt expect to immediately become Mikel Arteta’s first-choice left-winger, a role that Gabriel Martinelli has occupied for the past few seasons.
The Brazilian was exceptional in 2022-23, netting 15 Premier League goals as Arsenal came agonisingly close to the title, but he has struggled to maintain that output over the past two seasons.
Nevertheless, the Gunners are understood to be planning to tie Martinelli down to a new contract, but it is unclear if the same can be said about his senior, 30-year-old Leandro Trossard.
The ex-Brighton & Hove Albion man supposedly interested Saudi Arabian teams last summer, and teams from the Gulf state could try again this time around given that he will soon enter the last 12 months of his deal.
Arsenal expert Charles Watts recently had his say on whether Martinelli or Trossard is more likely to leave to make room for Williams, who has amassed 29 goals and 28 assists in 158 games for Athletic in all competitions.
