Why Arsenal & Chelsea may have to pay Nico Williams astronomical wages | OneFootball

Arsenal and Chelsea-linked Nico Williams is reported to be demanding a salary of over £400,000-per-week in order to be tempted to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old is widely hailed as one of the best young wingers in world football and his release clause of €60m (£51m) represents an enormous bargain in isolation, but the problem has always been meeting Williams' wage demands.

Due to Athletic's unique transfer strategy, which seems them only sign players from the Basque region, the club are prepared to hand out hefty salaries to their top talents and Williams is believed to receive upwards of £200,000-per-week already.

Keen to ensure he does not see a drop in wages, The Mail state Williams' representatives are asking for a weekly salary of over £400,000-per-week to consider a move to England, where tax rules would see his take-home wage drop closer to his current salary.

Such a figure is incomprehensible for Chelsea, whose entire model revolves around offering incentivised contracts with lower base salaries and the potential to increase earnings through performance-related bonuses.

Arsenal, meanwhile, already have an expensive squad and adding such a sizeable salary would not only raise the risk of breaching financial regulations, but it could also have a negative impact on a dressing room at a time in which the club are negotiating contract extensions with Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Financial concerns have also brought an end to Barcelona's pursuit of Williams, with La Liga's leaders believing there are better ways to spend their limited funds this summer.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Williams had warned his suitors that he wants to reach a final decision on his future by July 15 in order to give him a full pre-season with whichever club he ends up representing.

Committing to a deal of this size so early in the summer is highly unlikely for any of the sides interested in Williams, with the chances of remaining at Athletic only increasing.