Arsenal are preparing to attack the transfer window and as we’ve consistently reported, a new winger and midfielder are two of Mikel Arteta’s priorities.
The Gunners are aiming to build a squad capable of beating Manchester City to the Premier League title after missing out on top spot by just two points last season.
One player who has emerged as a target for Arsenal in recent days is Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who scored a stunning goal for Spain in their Euro 2024 Round of 16 win over Georgia on Sunday.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona have been linked with the talented 21-year-old, who is widely considered one of the most exciting young talents in LaLiga.
Williams made an impressive 27 goal contributions in 37 matches for Bilbao last season, playing a key role in his side winning the Copa del Rey.
As we exclusively revealed a week ago, he has a €58m (£49.2m) release clause in his contract – hence why some top European clubs are circling him.
Nico Williams in, Reiss Nelson out for Arsenal?
Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan has demanded that Arteta signs Williams via X and it will be interesting to see if the Gunners’ recruitment chiefs are on the same page.
Williams certainly has the potential to be an excellent addition for Arsenal and could be a replacement for Reiss Nelson, who has been told that he is free to find a new club this summer.
As mentioned, the North Londoners are also looking to bring in a new midfielder as the future of Thomas Partey at the Emirates continues to be in doubt.
The Ghanaian international has interest from Saudi Arabia and reports suggest that he’s been deemed surplus to requirements by Arteta.
Former Arsenal star Gilberto has stunningly claimed that Manchester United midfielder Casemiro – who endured a very disappointing 2023/24 with the Red Devils – would be a smart replacement for Partey.
He claims that the former Real Madrid only underperformed due to the ‘chaos’ behind the scenes at Old Trafford.
‘At Manchester United, we have to analyse the team itself and not players individually like Casemiro,’ Gilberto said in a recent interview.
“Manchester United didn’t have a good season until the very end, they had a few good performances but having a bad season like that impacts everyone.
“At times I have seen him play out of his position and play as a centre-back. The team itself had to deal a lot with injuries as well which was very tough for the manager, but very tough for the squad as well.”
Mikel Arteta told to sign ‘finished’ Man Utd star
Jamie Carragher ripped into Casemiro towards the end of the campaign, claiming that the 32-year-old is ‘finished’ at the top level.
However, Gilberto believes he’s still a ‘good player.’
“Some players are impacted more than others and I was honestly surprised by how battered Casemiro was by pundits and commentators.
“The season before last they loved him and now everyone is pointing the finger at him, blaming him for Manchester United’s season.
“Look at the whole picture and then you see the effect of it. For me, Casemiro is still a good player. I don’t know whether he’s going to stay or not in the club, but he’s a player I would love to have on my team.
“I think he still has the ability and capacity to stay in the Premier League, whether he’s going to be in United or any other club. It depends what he and the club want to do. I hope he can find a club that matches his expectations.
“Casemiro could be a good fit for Arsenal, let’s wait and see what happens.”
