Berta has Arsenal in ‘POLE POSITION’ for winger after Nico Williams meeting

Robin Bairner

• 3 Apr 2025 07:00 BST
• 3 min read

News

New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is not hanging about when it comes to the summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta’s men seek more firepower.

FootballTransfers has confirmed that a contact has taken place with Nico Williams in order to push through a deal for the Athletic Club star, but Arsenal are also well positioned to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves thanks to the influence of Berta.

Compared

Matheus Cunha

F (C)

Wolverhampton

Matheus Cunha

F (C)

Wolverhampton

VS

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

€60.8M	ETV	€71.2M
€54.7M - €66.8M	ETV Range	€64.1M - €78.4M
25 years old (27 May, 1999)	Age	22 years old (12 Jul, 2002)
Brazil	Nationality	Spain

Indeed, the Gunners are even said to be in “pole position” for the Brazil international winger by CaughtOffside.

Cunha has a release clause in his contract worth €75 million, but the report indicates that he will be allowed to leave for a figure slightly under this amount. With the 25-year-old posting an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €60.8m, Wolves’ asking price seems that it will, therefore, be reasonable.

Competition is extensive. Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest all want to sign Cunha, but Berta’s influence has put Arsenal, who also chased the player during January, ahead of these clubs.

The Gunners are notably ahead of Man Utd and Spurs in the queue for the former Atletico Madrid attacker, with these teams “next in line”.

Cunha an option of Nico Williams deal fails

Cunha has been lined up primarily as an alternative to Nico Williams, who FootballTransfers understands is Arsenal’s absolute priority on the wing.

The Spain international winger has a release clause of €58m, and it has been confirmed that there is a direct line of communication between the Gunners and the player.

Arsenal want a deal to be concluded for the Athletic Club star soon, but the player has yet to make up his mind on a summer transfer, hence Arteta’s side are exploring other possibilities, such as Cunha.