Personal terms agreed: A red hot forward wanted by Barcelona have agreed personal terms on a 4yr deal to join Arsenal – Date fixed to complete deal imminently – He will be Arteta second signing
A red hot forward wanted by Barcelona has held talks over joining Arsenal instead this summer, as manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu seek attacking upgrades for next season.
Arsenal targeting new forwards after failed title challenge
The Gunners fell just short in their efforts to win a first Premier League title in 20 years last season, despite taking Man City all the way to the final day of the season after an impressive campaign.
Arsenal racked up 89 points and scored over 90 league goals, numbers which have been enough to come out on top more often than not since the Premier League’s inception. However, Pep Guardiola’s City side have set the standard, and usually hit their stride towards the latter stages of a campaign.
Their imperiousness meant Arsenal had to settle for second again, but Arteta is aiming to make it third-time-lucky and to finally beat City to the title next season. The Spaniard has set his sights on players who can improve the squad, and is believed to be chasing a new forward or two.
Arteta wants a young striking partner for Kai Havertz, coming after the German’s excellent debut campaign at the Emirates, Arsenal could even end up bringing in another winger despite their abundance of quality out wide.
Gabriel Martinelli’s form took a slight dip towards the back of last season, perhaps indicating that the north Londoners could do with an alternative to the Brazilian mainstay.
One player who’s been linked in the last few weeks is Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. The young La Liga star is fresh off the back of a brilliant season, where he got himself into double digits for Spanish top flight assists.
Williams has also been very impressive at Euro 2024, giving Italy full-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo a nightmare on Thursday evening as Spain beat Italy 1-0. He was one of the standouts in Luis de la Fuente’s side, and if he carries on with this kind of tournament form, it’ll only turn the heads of more suitors.
Nico Williams holds talks with Arsenal and Barca
As per HITC, the Gunners had taken note of his exploits long before the Euros. Indeed, Williams has already held talks with Arsenal over joining them this summer – as he has with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Aston Villa – but there is one problem.
The 21-year-old, who is also being chased by Barcelona, has set his sights on a move to the Camp Nou instead as his preferred destination after speaking with them. Williams also, surprisingly, earns around £200,000-per-week at Bilbao, and could demand a wage packet of around £300,000-per-week to move.
Williams’ deal includes a £43 million release clause, but his salary could prove a real sticking point despite his obvious quality. That being said, Arteta is reportedly a real admirer of Williams and is personally driving a potential move.
