Nico Williams’ agent has confirmed that Arsenal were among the clubs interested in signing the Spain forward following his spectacular form at the 2024 European Championship.

The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with an Athletic Club exit in recent seasons and it was widely expected that he would leave the club after a sublime tournament with Spain, with Lamine Yamal believed to be pushing Barcelona to finalise a deal.

The Blaugrana were the frontrunners in the race to sign Williams, however Felix Tainta, the Spaniard’s agent, has explained that several other elite clubs, including Arsenal, were also interested before his client opted to sign a lucrative new contract at Athletic Club.

“We all know about Barca's interest in the summer of '24, after the European Championship,” Tainta told Marca. “Barca, Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool, PSG... I could name them all. Everyone wanted Nico, and having a player say no to all these clubs isn't easy.

“From there, we talked to Barca. Athletic knew because I kept them informed about the situation at all times, even though Athletic and Barca... Athletic was angry with Barca for their methods. From then on, I initiated conversations, and there came a point in the negotiations, in the situation, where Nico couldn't be without playing time.

“Nico is a Formula 1 car, and if I go to your house, I can't take on your problem, and I made that clear to Barca. From then on, we decided that if there weren't certain guarantees, we couldn't risk Nico not going there to play, with a World Cup coming up, and not just with a World Cup.

“A professional has to practice their profession. I go to your house to practice my profession; I have to continue doing my profession, and if you have a problem, that shouldn't affect me. And if you can't assure me that it won't affect me, then I might have to change my mind.”

When asked if Williams wanted to leave Athletic Club, Tainta added: “Nico had the idea of ​​leaving. He's ambitious, and at Athletic you know the limitations, you know you're not going to win a Champions League, maybe a league title.

“In the end, when he kept saying 'not here, not here, not here, maybe here, but the situation and what it entails doesn't add up,' there's another twist where you think, 'what if I renew?' I brought it up with him, I said, 'This is what it is, do you want me to fight for it?' And he agreed. And that's how we renewed.”

Will Arsenal rekindle Nico Williams interest?

While Arsenal are expected to prioritise the signing of a new left winger next year, it remains highly unlikely that a deal for Williams will be arranged.

The Spain star’s new deal at Athletic Club runs until 2034 and rumours have suggested that he has no interest in leaving the club, despite strong interest from a host of top European clubs.

As a result, Mikel Arteta’s side will be required to pursue an alternative target, with Kenan Yildiz (Juventus) and Kevin Schade (Brentford) believed to be on their radar.