Arsenal in driving seat to finally deliver £59m star after surprise club announcement

Barcelona have seemingly stepped aside in the chase for Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, leaving Arsenal with a clearer path to sign the Spain international. Williams, who scored the decisive goal against England in the Euro 2024 final last summer, was previously on radar.

However, the Catalan club opted to invest in Dani Olmo instead, leaving Williams' rumoured £300,000-a-week wage demand unmet. The winger's future has continued to be the subject of speculation, with amongst the interested parties. Williams ultimately remained with Bilbao and has registered 18 goal contributions across all competitions this term as the club battles for a spot in La Liga. New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is reported to have initiated discussions regarding a possible move for Williams. His Bilbao contract is claimed to have a €58million (£49m) release clause, and has been monitoring Williams closely. Given his €70m (£59m) valuation, as per , this would be a relative bargain price.

Barcelona's president Joan Laporta recently confirmed the La Liga champions' current transfer priorities on . "Nico Williams was one of the candidates last season, but we decided on Olmo. And other options are currently being considered," Laporta explained.

This shift away from Williams could be attributed to the resurgence of Raphinha at Barcelona, whose performances have been instrumental in the team's success this season, contributing to their domestic treble triumph. On the opposite flank, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has enthralled football fans worldwide.

Meanwhile, ahead of Arsenal securing their spot in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday, co-chairman Josh Kroenke promised to improve the squad in his programme notes. "We plan to invest to get behind winning and doing better next season," Kroenke said. "We're delighted we have our sporting director, Andrea, who will play an important role in this."

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta hinted at an exciting summer transfer window during his interview last week. Arteta outlined his strategy for the club, saying: "First of all, reviewing what we have done. Finding ways to increase the level of the team.

"Finding big margins where we can still develop our game model and our players, then putting those plans together, playing the pre-season. And then if we don't have enough from that, then it's about what do we need to recruit now to make the difference."

In discussions about his alignment with Berta, Arteta affirmed their shared vision. He added: "Since day one, when we were interviewing for that role. And he had it in front of him, it was very clear that this is, for me, what this squad needs to go to the next level.

"And we were very aligned. And you can tell - the experience he has, he's built great squads and the major trophies he's won - someone with that clarity is very, very helpful."