Nico Williams has seemingly hinted that he will reject Arsenal and remain at Athletic Club until at least next summer.
The Spain international is Mikel Arteta’s priority transfer target for the 2025 summer window and FootballTransfers understands that Arsenal are currently leading the race for his signature amid their pursuit of a new left winger.
Nico Williams sets Arsenal ULTIMATUM
Williams has been widely tipped to leave Athletic Club this summer and Arsenal are among the clubs eager to trigger the €58 million release clause included in his current contract with the Basque outfit.
However, the 22-year-old has now hinted that he may opt to stay at Athletic Club for at least one more season.
The Spanish side reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night and following his team’s win over Rangers, Williams suggested that he dreams of playing in the Champions League with Athletic Club next year.
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He told AS: “We have the goal of winning the Europa League and, next year, to crush the Champions League. Little by little.
“I think our motto of going ‘on the down low’ is the best. We’re doing very well, and we need to continue like this to reach the final to continue this streak to help the team. The team is extraordinary.
“We’re going to celebrate this victory. San Mames deserves it more than anyone. We’re doing very well to reach the semi-final we want. One more step before the final, and hopefully we can get there.”
Nico Williams to stay at Athletic Club?
Spanish publication El Nacional have also reported that Williams is now contemplating signing a new contract with Athletic Club in order to extend his stay at San Mames.
The 22-year-old’s current deal is due to expire in 2027, but he reportedly remains happy at the club and is open to the idea of snubbing the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea by signing a contract extension.
Meanwhile, The Sun claim that Williams would demand a weekly salary of close to €300,000 in order to join Arsenal this summer, and although he is the Gunners’ priority target, there are doubts over whether they could afford that outlay in addition to their other transfer plans.
Williams has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for Athletic Club so far this season, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at €70.6m.
