Nico Williams tells Lamine Yamal he’ll sign for Arsenal as Arteta prepares monster bid

Robin Bairner

Updated: 13 Feb 2025 13:45 GMT
4 min read

Nico Williams, Arsenal, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Nico Williams has told Barcelona star Lamine Yamal that he will sign for Arsenal this summer, according to a report from Spain.

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Athletic Club star Nico has long been linked with a switch to the Gunners, whose interest has stepped up in recent months as they seek additional offensive options.

STATS

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

19

Games
1

Goals
3

Assists

FootballTransfers revealed in December that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was prepared to launch a January bid to match the winger’s €58 million release clause – but only if he showed a willingness to make the move.

Having knocked back the Emirates side and Barcelona in the summer, Nico Williams decided to see the season out with Athletic, but the expectation has always been that he will depart Bilbao following the 2024/25 season.

Now that has been confirmed by reports from Spain, with the 22-year-old having told close friend Lamine Yamal his transfer plan for the summer. It is one that is set to leave his mate disappointed, with Arsenal picked as his destination ahead of Barcelona.

Arsenal ready to pay more than Nico Williams' release fee

Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, is ready to revisit the situation as he seeks to bolster Arsenal’s attacking options in the summer following a period of unprecedented injury problems. The Gunners are without Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and now Kai Havertz as they wrestle with a string of issues that have left them threadbare offensively.

The Spaniard needs little justification to match Nico Williams’ release clause, particularly with the winger boasting an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €71.2m.

Current ETV

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

ETV Range

€64.1M - €78.4M

FootballTransfers has previously revealed that Arsenal are even willing to bid more than the Spain star’s release fee in order to secure better payment terms on the transfer. This is unlikely to amount to a significant bump in what they are about to pay for the winger.

The presence of Spain international colleagues David Raya, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi, who will hook up with the Gunners at the end of the season, is thought to have been vital to Nico’s decision.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are closing in on a new contract for Leandro Trossard.