Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are reportedly at risk of losing out on a key Barcelona-linked £50m transfer target to Bayern Munich in the summer window.
Arsenal face the prospect of losing out on Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, who is reportedly of serious interest to Bayern Munich.
The Gunners are in desperate need of additions in the forward line following confirmation from Mikel Arteta of Bukayo Saka’s serious hamstring injury.
Saka was substituted in the first half of his side’s match against Crystal Palace last weekend and is set to miss out on action for a number of weeks.
With Arsenal already trailing first-placed Liverpool by six points – despite having played a game more than Arne Slot’s Reds – Saka’s injury could have catastrophic consequences for the London club.
In more bad news for Arteta, German outlet Bild report that Bundesliga side Bayern Munich are seriously considering making a move for transfer target Nico Williams in the summer.
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Analysed: Nico Williams
Barcelona had long been linked with a potential move for Williams, who came into the 2024-25 season as a Euro 2024 winner with Spain, playing a starring role on the left side of attack.
Blessed with incredible pace, the Athletic Bilbao winger prefers to run at opponents and is at his best when teammates play directly to him at the earliest opportunity.
The 22-year-old helped his club side finish fifth in La Liga and win the Copa del Rey for the first time in 40 years last term, scoring eight goals while providing 16 assists in 37 appearances for the La Liga team in all competitions.
Williams has not been as productive so far this campaign, scoring two times and registering five assists in 23 appearances for Athletic Bilbao, but dips in form are natural for young players.
The Spaniard has a reported release clause worth £47m, and it makes sense as to why he would attract so much attention given his signature would not necessarily command an outrageous transfer fee.
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Can Arsenal afford to wait until the summer?
Arteta has already spent around £700m on new arrivals, but despite spending so heavily, he has arguably left the Gunners light in attack.
Saka has scored five goals and produced 10 assists in the Premier League this season, with no other player in the Arsenal squad registering more than eight direct goal contributions.
The Gunners have also come under scrutiny for their reliance on set pieces and have been accused by some for supposedly lacking of creativity from open play.
Saka is one of Arsenal’s main set-piece takers, and with the attacker potentially set to miss games against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, his absence could ultimately prove costly in the Gunners’ pursuit of the Premier League title.
Signing a forward in January could be risky and potentially prohibitively expensive, but it is difficult to see how Arsenal can compete for the biggest honours without reinforcement in the winter.
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