Arsenal receive transfer boost for Nico Williams as Barcelona learns of new price set by Athletic Bilbao.

Nico Williams has been heavily linked with an exit from Athletic Bilbao for a while now following his impressive performances for club and country
Arsenal are reportedly leading Barcelona in the race to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao. Both clubs have been monitoring the 22-year-old winger for a while, with Arsenal initially showing interest during the summer transfer window before shifting their focus to Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling, who was considered a more affordable option at the time.

While Arsenal moved away from Williams at that point, they may rekindle their interest soon. The Spanish international has a significant release clause of €65m (£54.2m), which both clubs could activate. However, according to ESPN, Williams’ wage demands are causing complications for Barcelona. The winger is reportedly requesting €9m to €10m per season (£7.5m to £8.3m), a salary deemed too high by the Catalan club.

This has led Barcelona to turn their attention to Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, potentially clearing the path for Arsenal to pursue Williams. Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, recently confirmed the club’s interest in Williams during the summer but explained that the player chose to explore other options.

Deco was quoted as saying: “Nico is a player we were interested in during the summer. We tried to bring him in, but the player made his decision, and life goes on.” He also noted that with the signing of Dani Olmo, Barcelona had addressed their need for a player of Williams’ style, and their pursuit was abandoned once Williams showed no interest in joining.

In contrast, Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font criticized current president Joan Laporta for raising unrealistic expectations about the potential signing of Williams. Font expressed his frustration, telling *The Athletic*: “I wish we could sign Nico Williams because that’s what we need… but today, it cannot be done.”

Font also highlighted the growing mistrust among fans, noting: “Fans want to believe what they’re told, but they’ve been promised signings for three summers now, and credibility is eroding. If promises aren’t kept this summer, the trust will fall even further.”