Arsenal are expected to launch an assault on the La Liga market during the summer transfer window, with moves for two players in particular being lined up: Nico Williams and Martin Zubimendi. They are reported to be firm favourites to sign the latter from Real Sociedad, but in the case of the Athletic Club winger, things are not so clear.
Despite this, the fact that Barcelona are expected to forego the possible signing of Williams during the summer does give Arsenal an advantage. The Catalans were desperate to land the Spanish international in 2024, but a deal was ultimately ruled out when the player signalled his intention to remain in Bilbao.
Arsenal are hoping that Williams will relax his stance on staying this summer. Athletic have no plans to negotiate with any interested clubs, although that does not matter for the Premier League side as Football Transfers have reported that that they are prepared to activate his release clause, which is believed to be worth in the region of €58m.
As per the report, Williams’ possible arrival at Arsenal does not depend on any sales, meaning that nothing would stand in their way of bringing the 22-year-old to North London – at least on their end.
However, it is far from certain that they will be able to convince him to leave Athletic. So far, he has shown no desire to leave, and despite extremely strong pressure from Barcelona last summer, he stood firm on remaining at his boyhood club for at least one more season.
It remains to be seen whether Williams moves from Athletic during the summer transfer window. For now, his focus is on helping Los Leones end the season on a high, and after that, he is expected to think about whether his future lies away from the Basque Country.
