Arsenal ready to thwart Barcelona transfer plans with £49m deal for LaLiga star next summer: Reports
Arsenal are seemingly willing to move ahead in the race with Barcelona for the signature of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. The Spain international has been linked with both sides, but his release clause worth £49 million has been a sticking point.
However, the Gunners are said to be willing to trigger the clause, as per a report from TeamTalk (via CaughtOffSide). The attacker has also been linked with other sides, including the north Londoners' Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Now it appears as though Arsenal may get their man, with Mikel Arteta looking to improve the options on the left flank. A large part of these links has stemmed from the fact that neither Gabriel Martinelli nor Leandro Trossard have assured themselves a starting position.
For Williams, a move to the Emirates could be good, given he could establish himself as the first choice in this role. He's also capable of playing on the right, in case there is an injury to Bukayo Saka.
The Gunners are poised to challenge for top honors in the coming season. They're likely to finish second in the Premier League this year and have a quarter-final against Real Madrid coming up in the UEFA Champions League.
However, the same could be said about Barcelona, who are leading the race for the LaLiga title this season. They, too, are in the final eight of the Champions League, where Borussia Dortmund await them for a two-legged contest.
Barcelona target wishes to join Arsenal over other interested clubs in the summer- Reports
Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres reportedly wants to move to Arsenal over Barcelona, as rumors about his summer move continue to make the rounds. This is as per a report from Fichajes.net, which claims that the Sweden international has also attracted interest from other English sides, including Manchester United and Nottingham Forest (via The Hard Tackle).
Gyokeres is said to have a €100 million release clause in his contract that runs until the summer of 2028. However, this new piece of information states that interested parties will only have to pay about €70 million to secure the services of the 26-year-old striker in the upcoming transfer window.
He's continued to be a standout performer across the top European leagues, bagging 43 goals in as many games across competitions this campaign. Gyokeres has also bagged 11 assists in all competitions to go with his strikes.