Arsenal, Chelsea cool off pursuit of 22-year-old Barcelona winger target | OneFootball

According to journalist David Ornstein, Arsenal and Chelsea have pulled back from the race to sign Nico Williams.

The 22-year-old winger is now getting closer to joining Barcelona, as the Spanish club makes serious moves to secure his signature.

It is to be noted that Chelsea were interested last summer but backed off when Nico decided to stay at Athletic Club.

Arsenal showed strong intent this year, but with Nico leaning towards a move to Barcelona, both Premier League sides have cooled their interest.

Barcelona are now in a strong position. The club likes the player’s progress and maturity, and although a deal is not done yet, they are clearly the front-runners.

Nico’s preference to stay in Spain has helped the Catalan giants, and his connection with players in the current Barça dressing room only strengthens the bond.

Bayern Munich left frustrated

Nico Williams prefers a move to Barcelona. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are still debating whether to send Nico a formal offer.

The German champions turned their focus to him after missing out on Florian Wirtz, who chose Liverpool instead. However, Bayern are not happy that Nico prefers a move to Barcelona over their proposal.

For the winger, the idea of joining Barcelona is appealing. He believes the team is building something special and has a real chance of winning big titles soon.

The project feels right to him, and he sees it as a clear step forward in his career.

Barcelona, on their part, are aware that they must pay Nico’s full release clause to finalise the move.

Athletic Club are not open to instalments, so Barça need to find the financial muscle to pay the full amount, believed to be around €60 million, up front. Talks are ongoing, and a final decision is expected in the coming weeks.