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Arsenal were keen on signing Athletic Club’s Nico Williams

By on September 5, 2025

Nico-Williams-Spain

Arsenal were reportedly keen on signing Athletic Club ace Nico Williams this summer, as per Football Transfers.

After ranking through the Basque club’s youth system, the 23-year-old has established himself as a talismanic figure for his boyhood club. Having displayed impressive performances in the 2023/24 season, he attracted a lot of attention last summer.

However, he eventually decided to stay at San Mamés. The same scenario played out in the recently concluded summer window before he decided to extend his deal until 2035 at the Basque club.

Now, Football Insider state that Arsenal have been interested in the Spaniard for almost two years and were ‘eager’ to secure his services this summer after failing to do so last year.

However, they eventually decided to stop pursuing the forward as they weren’t willing to match his wage demands. In the end, they reinforced the wide forward position by purchasing Noni Madueke from Chelsea.

Barcelona were also keen on signing Williams, but like Arsenal, they also couldn’t finalise the operation. After failing to buy him, they have signed Marcus Rashford on a loan deal from Manchester United.

Williams to Arsenal

Williams, valued at around £61m by Transfermarkt, predominantly plays as a left-winger for Athletic Club and the Spain national team but is also comfortable on the opposite side.

The winger is considered one of the best young players in La Liga and would’ve been a great coup for Arsenal had they managed to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.

However, Arsenal have reinforced the wide forward positions by purchasing Premier League-proven players this summer. Alongside Madueke, Arsenal have bought Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

The former Chelsea star can play on either side; on the other hand, Eze likes to play centrally, even though he is comfortable on the left side.

Eze is currently at the prime stage of his career and made his debut for Arsenal against Liverpool last weekend. Although the North London club ended up on the losing side in this game, the Englishman showcased glimpses of his qualities after coming on as a substitute in the second half.

Madueke also looked sharp against Milos Kerkez in this game, and with Bukayo Saka likely to remain sidelined for a few weeks, the former Chelsea star will now have to step in.