Arsenal forced to chase Nico Williams as PRIORITY plan revealed

Cameron Smith

8 Apr 2025 20:00 BST
3 min read

Leroy Sane is currently focused on signing a new contract with Bayern Munich, despite holding fresh talks with Arsenal in recent weeks.

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The Germany international is due to become a free agent in July, when his current deal with Bayern expires, and he has been heavily linked with a Bosman move to Arsenal amid his contractual situation with the Bundesliga giants.

Current ETV

Leroy Sané

M (RL)

Bayern

Leroy Sané

M (RL)

Bayern

ETV Range

€15.4M - €18.9M

Sane knows Mikel Arteta from their time together at Manchester City, however the 29-year-old is now eager to snub interest from Arsenal in order to extend his stay at Bayern.

That is according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who posted on X: “Max Eberl is planning a new contract for Leroy Sane. The board and supervisory board have been informed and are now open to it.

“The main reason: his performances have been increasingly convincing, and he is very eager to stay.

“A new deal until 2028 is being discussed. Sane is willing to accept the necessary salary reduction. Arsenal remain interested and have held fresh talks in recent days, but Sane’s focus remains on signing a contract extension.”

Arsenal’s interest in Sane dates back to last summer, as exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers, although the north London side face an uphill battle to secure his signature in 2025.

As a result, the Gunners may be forced to pursue a move for Athletic Club superstar Nico Williams - who is their priority target for the left wing position.

Arsenal to sign Nico Williams?

Williams, 22, is wanted by numerous clubs across Europe, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, although FootballTransfers understands that Arsenal are currently leading the race to sign him ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

With a move for Sane now looking unlikely, Arsenal may be forced to intensify their pursuit of Williams amid very few suitable alternatives on the continent.

The Spain international is, however, demanding an annual salary of €15 million, as per reports, which could complicate Arsenal’s pursuit of his signature.