Arsenal and Liverpool are expected to be busy in 2025 as they both are preparing for offensive overhauls.
The Gunners are expected to sign a striker as well as a winger, whereas the Reds are likely to show interest in out-wide players and central forwards too as their search for a consistent source of goals continues amid doubts regarding Mohamed Salah’s future.
Prominent journalist Graeme Bailey (h/t TBR Football) has reported that Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has been linked with Arsenal as well as Liverpool, is ‘prepared to move’ to the Premier League. The Spanish international is conceding that his dream move to Barcelona could be jeopardised by the Catalan side’s financial problems, thus being ‘open’ to moving to England.
Nico Williams has a release clause of £48 million and any club interested in his transfer will likely be referred to that amount by Athletic Club in the summer.
Arsenal and Liverpool have a fair shot at Williams
While Liverpool might be on their way to comfortably winning the Premier League and contending strongly for the Champions League, Arsenal have also been a tough nut to crack in the last few years. In saying that, both Premier League giants have become top destinations, not least for young players, so it is hard to anticipate one being the favourite for Nico Williams over the other.
Having said that, which way the tide swings will largely come down to the preferences of both clubs.
Arsenal will push for Nico Williams’ signing as he is admittedly a player with much better potential than Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, whereas the Belgian could also be permanently considered as a right winger behind Bukayo Saka if the Gunners sign the Athletic Bilbao star. Williams can also play on the right flank.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are likely to give greater precedence to a goal-scorer’s signing given Mohamed Salah’s potential exit although that’s not to say they will back out of a transfer for Williams as Luis Diaz’s future has also been under the radar lately.
The Premier League is starting to imminently look like Williams’ next destination though Paris Saint-Germain had also got their eyes on the player and are easily capable of pricing him away from England with a mammoth salary packet.
