Arsenal is said to be a summer swoop for athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams, while Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen his attack.
Arsenal would like to strengthen their forward options after a series of injury problems has seriously affected their Premier League title. Williams has previously been associated with a possible move to the Emirates and it seems that the Gunners have now scored the 22-year-old.
According to Bild, Arsenal has already made contact with the representatives of Williams and the winger would have a release clause in his contract worth £ 48 million and £ 67 million.
However, they are not the only club in the hope of signing Williams, with Bayern Munich also said he was interested in his services. The will of Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea are also previously linked to the Spain International.
Williams could have left Athletic last summer after he won Euro 2024 in the lead role, but he finally chose to stay in his boys' club. When asked about the interest of other clubs earlier this season, Williams insisted that he was “the most enthusiastic” about testing himself in Europe with athletics.
“It's good big teams, you have in their agenda, but I have always been clear, I want to be here,” he said in August. “Athletic Club is a different feeling that you don't get at other clubs. I am really looking forward to doing big things in this club.
“There were approaches of many clubs. My heart is with athletics. I have a contract here, but who knows what is happening in the future. I wanted to stay because playing in Europe was with Athletic Club that I was most enthusiastic about.”
In the meantime, Arsenal hopes to welcome Bukayo Saka back from a serious hamstring injury prior to the quarterfinals collision of the Champions League against Real Madrid next month. 'He will be here [at the Arsenal training ground] Next week, hopefully more with ball at his feet than he had, “said Arteta when he was asked for an update about the fitness of Saka.
“That will mean that he passes and shoot and run the ball and everything. He has already done a lot on the field that works alone. Then we have to arrange it with people around him in a more competitive training session and see how he goes with it.
“He is getting closer, he comes up and makes a very good progress that I would say. So let's see when we start throwing him in with the team, how he reacts and how he can get fit quickly.”