Arsenal make ‘serious offer’ that leaves leading target ‘already planning final betrayal’ of Barcelona
Premier League side Arsenal have a ‘serious offer’ on the table for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, according to reports.
The Gunners’ 1-1 draw against Brentford last weekend saw Premier League leaders Liverpool take advantage to move 13 points clear of Mikel Arteta’s side heading into the final six matches of the season.
But Arsenal eased that pain a few days later by beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Bernabeu to win their Champions League quarter-final 5-1 on aggregate.
Potential Champions League glory would only strengthen Arsenal’s position in the transfer market over the summer and Arteta has already guaranteed a “big summer”.
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.”
And now reports in Spain claim that Williams is ‘already planning his final betrayal’ of Barcelona as he eyes a move to the Premier League with Arsenal.
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.’
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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.’
Gunners legend Alan Smith admits he would be “surprised” to see Williams move to Arsenal because he can play in 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.”
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