Arsenal handed transfer boost as Barca accept reality over contract demands

Arsenal could be given a free run at Spanish star Nico Williams as Barcelona's chase hits the buffers.

Both teams have been linked with a transfer for the winger for some time last season. The Gunners in particular were sharp in the summer, but opted for a cheaper choice for Chelsea's Raheem Sterling.

But the opportunity to sign Williams could arise again for Arsenal in the near future. The 22-year-old has a €65 million release clause written into his deal.

The Gunners and Barcelona could activate that potential. But Williams' wage demands make a deal for the latter difficult.

His demands of around 9 to 10 million euros per season are too high for Barcelona. And according to ESPN, they are now looking for alternatives, including Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

That could give Arsenal a free run against Williams, who scored eight goals and provided 19 assists last season. This season he has already scored two goals and two assists in all competitions.

Barcelona chief Deco has already spoken out about a deal for Williams. He said they were interested, but they should sign Dani Olmo instead.

“Nico is a player that, yes, we were interested in during the summer. We tried to sign him, but from that moment on the player made a decision and life moved on,” Deco said.

“We brought in Dani Olmo, who was our priority because we didn't have that type of player in our squad. The idea with Nico was to add more competition up front because we wanted high-level competition, but once the player wasn't there if there was is interested in coming, there is no further discussion.”

Meanwhile, Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font targeted Joan Laporta for misleading fans over a deal for the Spanish forward. Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “I wish we could sign Nico Williams because that's what we need.

“The president has said it is possible, but that is not true. Nowadays that is not possible. We hope this will be possible tomorrow. But today that is not the case.

“The members want to dream and believe what they tell us. The problem is that for three summers they have been telling us that everything is fine, that we will sign players and everything is resolved. With each passing year, credibility diminishes. And if the promises are not kept this summer, credibility will be further diminished.”