Arsenal need players who are driven and hungry for silverware and this La Liga ace isn’t that

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·04 de julho de 2025

Arsenal need players who are driven and hungry for silverware and this La Liga ace isn’t that

Nico Williams snubs Europe’s elite in favour of long-term loyalty

Nico Williams is quite the character, and all his suitors – which include Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona – will now feel a touch misled.

He was widely tipped to make a high-profile move this summer, with strong indicators suggesting he would bid farewell to Athletic Club.

Vídeos OneFootball

Arsenal and Bayern were left disappointed

After the 2024/25 season, Arsenal reignited their interest in the Spanish winger and pushed hard to land him, just as they had last summer before ultimately turning to Raheem Sterling. Bayern Munich soon joined the chase, with both clubs offering compelling sporting projects.

However, Williams reportedly had no real desire to leave Spain. In fact, if he were to move at all, it was said to be only for Barcelona.

Arsenal and Bayern appeared to accept that his heart was set on Catalonia, and the move to the La Liga champions was seen as a formality, if they could navigate financial constraints to register him.

Then came the twist.

New contract ends the transfer saga

Rodrygo (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

As cited by Fabrizio Romano on X, Williams has now signed a bumper 10-year contract extension with Athletic Club, tying him to San Mamés until 2035. The new deal reportedly comes with a 50 percent increase on his previous release clause, which had been set at €58 million.

Gooners need not be too disheartened by the news. Arsenal have already moved on and are now working on a deal for Rodrygo.

Still, there’s a lingering sense of being played. Williams appears to have leveraged the interest from top clubs to secure a lucrative extension.

He has chosen sentiment and familiarity over testing himself on a bigger stage.

That is his prerogative, but for Arsenal it underlines the importance of signing players hungry for silverware and ready to grow.

Fortunately, Williams was never the only fish in the sea.

Andrea Berta, get Arteta his man Rodrygo! And let him cook like there was never a need for a certain Spanish winger.

Thoughts Gooners

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