Arsenal keen on signing Barcelona transfer target valued at £40m - Reports
According to reports, Arsenal are keen on signing Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Spaniard is regarded as one of the most exciting wingers in European football and has been on the radar of several clubs, including Barcelona.
The Gunners are ready to meet Willams' buyout clause this summer as the 21-year-old winger can part ways with Athletic Club for a fee of £40m, as per Tribal Football.
Nico Williams has had an impressive 2023/24 season with Athletic Bilbao, scoring eight goals and providing 17 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions. Alongside Barcelona and Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly interested in the Spaniard.
Arsenal's season came to a disappointing end as they finished second in the Premier League behind Manchester City and were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. The north London club are expected to strengthen their squad this summer, and signing a new attacker is reportedly a priority on their list.
Nico Williams has been named in the Spanish national team for Euro 2024. His contract with Athletic Bilbao is set to expire in the summer of 2027 (per Transfermarkt).
Pundit Simon Jordan believes Arsenal will win Premier League next season
TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan believes Arsenal will win the Premier League next season as the "natural progression" of their project under Mikel Arteta continues.
Talking about the development of Mikel Arteta's squad over the seasons, Jordan said (via talkSPORT):
"Yeah, I've sort of put my colours to the mast, I think Arsenal will win the Premier League, I think there's a natural progression. I do because I think it's a natural progression. I think ultimately you've gone from 84 points to 89 points."
"You look at the weaknesses and you go, 'We've got a Champions League campaign which we were moderately successful in so we've proven that we've got a squad that's capable of competing on two fronts.' A couple of improvements, the manager's involvement, a couple of tactical decisions they got wrong in games against Aston Villa and over the Christmas period, and they're in business," added Simon Jordan.
Mikel Arteta was recently named the Best Premier League Coach at the Globe Soccer Awards.