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The agent of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams has confirmed that Arsenal were among the clubs who “wanted” to sign the winger.

Felix Tainta says that the Gunners came calling for the Spanish international two years ago, but he favoured a move to Barcelona before eventually opting to stay with his current team:

“We all know about Barca’s interest in the summer of 24, after the European Championship. 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 were angry with Barca for their methods. From then on, I initiated conversations.”

“There came a point in the negotiations, in the situation, where Nico couldn’t be without playing time. Nico is a Formula 1 car. 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.”

Could Arsenal revive their interest in the player?

The Premier League champions are very much still in the market for a left winger, having only signed Christos Tzolis to replace Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli last summer.

A concerted effort was made to buy Vinicius Jr before he signed a new contract, so there is clearly money available to strengthen the position. Reports suggest Mikel Arteta’s side are keen on Brentford’s Kevin Schade and Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi, but there is a chance that Williams could come back onto the radar.

Williams has a release clause

The 24-year-old put pen to paper on a mammoth ten-year contract when he snubbed Barcelona back in 2024, but the deal reportedly included a buyout fee worth approximately €95m (£80m).

Of course, there is no point in triggering the clause if Williams is not interested in leaving Athletic, and there are no indications currently that he is seeking a move.