In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano mentioned that Arsenal are among the clubs hoping to recruit Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. Romano said,
“One more detail on Nico Williams, and this is important. What I’m told some big English clubs made contact with people close to Nico Williams, [which was] two, three or four weeks ago.
“[They are] important clubs in the Premier League; for example he is appreciated by people at Chelsea, and he is appreciated by people at Arsenal too. Many clubs have moved to understand the situation of Nico Williams.
“But not only that, it is a very open story. Around Nico, even in Spain there is interest from Barcelona, we know that – but we will have to see the financial situation. It is not easy for Barca, but the appreciation of Nico Williams from Barca is also very clear.
“When all of these clubs moved to understand the situation of Nico Williams, it was about his release clause but also about his salary, which is an important topic. Obviously, the clause is €58million but probably the value of the player is higher than this. And when you enter these kind of situations, similar to Joshua Zirkzee where the player is worth more than his €40million release clause, you have to pay more probably in terms of salary and other costs of the deal.”
Williams’ Impressive Record In Spanish Football
Williams enjoyed a brilliant campaign at the Spanish club as he put in a lot of impressive displays on the left side of their attack. The 21-year-old banged in eight goals and earned 19 assists in 37 matches for his current employers last season across all fronts.
The Spanish talent has been a reliable performer in the final third based on his average of 1.8 shots, 1.5 key passes, 1.5 crosses and 2.8 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 79.2% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Is Williams A Good Option For Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta?
Williams has got the pace to cause a lot of headaches for his marker out in the wide areas. He can create some decent openings for his teammates from the flanks and is a great dribbler with the ball.
The Spanish sensation can shoot the ball with venom from long range and did well to add plenty of goals and assists to his game last season. He would add more firepower to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta‘s attack.
At 21, Williams has the potential to be a future star in European football. Therefore, he would be an excellent option for the Gunners to consider for the long run. However, the Spaniard needs some time to settle into life at the Emirates Stadium.
