Arsenal 'OBSESSED' with €80m Nico Williams teammate as prolific Odegaard alternative

Suraj Radia

20 Apr 2025 14:30 CDT
4 min read

Mikel Arteta is reportedly eyeing more than just Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao, with the Arsenal boss said to be keen on a ‘surprise’ swoop for one of La Liga’s stand out performers this season.

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Williams is among Arsenal’s top transfer targets for the summer and new Gunners executive Andrea Berta is ready to activate the winger’s €58 million release clause.

But, according to Spanish outlet El Nacional, Arsenal are not hoping to stop their raid of Bilbao at just Williams, with Arteta also now looking at attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet as an ‘absolute priority’.

Current ETV

Oihan Sancet

M, AM (C)

Athletic

Oihan Sancet

M, AM (C)

Athletic

ETV Range

€51M - €62.3M

Sancet has scored 15 goals from just 17 starts in La Liga this season and the 24-year-old’s ‘unusual’ profile of being a physical and intelligent midfielder with a goalscoring pedigree has led to be described as Areta's midfield 'obsession' as an alternative to Martin Odegaard’s playmaking.

However, Arsenal are aware that a deal won’t be easy due to the player’s affinity for Bilbao and the Basque club usually being unwilling to negotiate below any buyout clauses, with Sancet’s allegedly valued closer to €80m.

But there is hope that Sancet will be tempted by the opportunity to take another step in his career at an attacking and competitive Premier League club, suggesting that Athletic may have a fight on their hands to keep Arsenal away from their star duo.

Arsenal consider Sancet move after Williams uncertainty

Sancet joined Athletic’s academy as a 15-year-old and made his senior debut in 2019, although his breakout campaign came in the 2022-23 season when he played in all but two of his side’s league matches, scoring ten times.

The young star led Bilbao to Copa Del Rey success the next season and also claimed his first cap for Spain but his game has been taken to a new level this season in a prolific campaign.

During Arteta’s tenure at the Emirates, Arsenal have often seen a variety of goalscorers instead of relying on a single player to be solely responsible for scoring goals, however this has often left the team lacking a focal point in attack, such as with the absence of Kai Havertz through injury.

© IMAGO - Oihan Sancet is among La Liga's top scorers this season.

Sancet’s league tally this season would put him six goals ahead of Arsenal’s top scorer and, while the Gunners are expected to sign a number nine this summer, the Bilbao man would be a proven option to provide an outlet from midfield in tight games.

Much could depend on Arsenal’s pursuit of a striker or Williams, who has hinted he may not be ready to leave Athletic this summer, but Arteta’s admiration for Sancet indicates that the player could be targeted for a move to North London in the near future.

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