Premier League manager pushing to complete €60m Nico Williams move in January | OneFootball

Athletic Club likely thought that having fended off interest from Barcelona in the summer, they would have Nico Wiliams until at least the summer. However Premier League giants Arsenal could come calling.

According to The Athletic, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta is keen for his side to activate Williams’ €60m release clause in the winter transfer window. Chelsea and Liverpool are also interested, but Arteta feels they need him as soon as possible. That said, the fact they would need to pay his release clause in full, and taking into account a potentially large salary, means a deal is much more likely in the summer. The Gunners would perhaps need to involve ownership in order to sanction the deal in January, and are keeping an eye on Barcelona’s Dani Olmo and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kang-In Lee as alternatives.

Even if his release clause is activated, it does seem unlikely that Williams would agree to leave midseason. He showed just how important Athletic are to him this summer, shunning a potential move to Barcelona, and the prospect of a Europa League final is now just months away for the Basque giants. Williams could then be on the market next summer, where he will have his pick of top clubs.