Nico Williams was one of the stars of the recently concluded European Championship. The 22-year-old was a star of Luis de la Fuente’s team, terrorizing opposition defences along with 17-year-old Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal. This has prompted interest from the top clubs in Europe.
However, it is not just the Euros where Nico has shone at the highest level. The Spanish winger is coming off an incredible and largely understated La Liga campaign in which he recorded 27 goal contributions for Ernesto Valverde’s side. The 22-year-old just carried on the same form into the international stage.
Barcelona wins transfer tug-of-war for Nico Williams
Barcelona have made the most notorious effort to sign Nico Williams this summer. The Spanish club wants to bring the Basque club star to combine with Yamal at the club level and bring about the same impact for Hansi Flick’s team. However, it increasingly looked like he would stay in Bilbao this summer.
As always, there has been a late twist in the transfer saga with it emerging today that Nico has given his yes to Barcelona. It’s now up to Deco & co. to find a way to trigger his release clause to sign him to Barcelona. This however means that Arsenal are set to miss out on the 22-year-old this summer.
Alternatives for Arsenal?
The Gunners were one of the many teams linked with a move for Nico Williams. They did not seem close to signing him at any point or in advanced negotiations with Bilbao but this does throw a curveball in their plans. Arsenal now need to identify alternatives in attack to reinforce the squad.
One player that the Gunners need to look at is Federico Chiesa. The Juventus winger is out of favour under Thiago Motta and with a few weeks left to go in the transfer window, the Italian club will be keen to find a new club for him. He could be available for a dirt-cheap price this summer.
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Edu Gaspar needs to weave his magic and try and bring the immensely talented Italian to the Emirates. Chiesa was a star for Italy during the Euros 2020 and despite his obvious talent, injuries have played a cruel part in stopping him from becoming the player that he could be. At his best, as Chiellini said, the 26-year-old can be unstoppable.
Another player that Arsenal could look at is Bayern’s Leroy Sane. He was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool earlier in the year but the German club are looking to sell him and he could be available at a decent price too. If the Gunners don’t fancy Chiesa, they could look at the ex-Man City winger. After all, we are no strangers to signing players who have played for Pep Guardiola’s side before.
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The next few weeks are crucial in deciding the Gunners’ fate for this season. The first-team is sorted but we need a well-rounded squad to challenge for trophies. For this, we need to look at market opportunities like Chiesa or Sane and let’s see how the club goes about their business.
🚨🚨🌕| BREAKING: Nico Williams has AGREED to join FC Barcelona! He has said YES to being a blaugrana! @sanantheone 🔵🔴🔥✅ pic.twitter.com/zEKMdpxBrV
— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) August 11, 2024
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