Report: Arsenal decide they will not make move to sign Nico Williams until one thing happens

Arsenal remain interested in a move to sign Spain’s Euro 2024 star Nico Williams.

The Gunners are yet to make any signings in this window apart from turning David Raya’s loan into a permanent deal earlier in July.

Mikel Arteta has welcomed many of his players back for pre-season, and everyone available is hard at work ahead of their tour to the United States.

The Arsenal boss will be hoping for a few new faces in the squad before they fly out to America, but Williams is unlikely to be one of them.

What needs to happen before Arsenal try to sign Nico Williams

Williams is a wanted man this summer.

The 22-year-old had a terrific campaign for Athletic Bilbao in the 2023/24 season, scoring eight goals and providing 19 assists in all competitions.

Williams was also a star at Euro 2024 for Spain. He was fantastic for them and even scored in the final to help them beat England.

Now that the Euros are over, all eyes are on Williams’ future, and a number of clubs are interested in signing him in the coming weeks.

The Athletic have had their say on Arsenal’s interest in Williams.

It has been claimed that if the Gunners decide to buy a winger this summer, Williams is Arteta’s preferred choice. However, it won’t be easy to sign him.

The report claims that the Premier League runners-up “feel they would need to sell players from their front line to create space and capital” before they can try to sign him.

So, as things stand, unless Arsenal sell some of their attacking players, a move for Williams is unlikely to be possible.

READ MORE: Wayne Rooney says Nico Williams reminds him of one former Manchester United star

Who Arsenal could sell to sign Williams

Before the summer transfer window even opened, Arsenal put 10 players on the chopping block.

Arteta has a number of players in his squad who need to be moved on, and that feels all the more necessary now because it’s stopping them from pursuing Williams.

The report claims that Arsenal need to ‘sell players from their frontline’, and the first two names that come to mind are Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson, who have both been linked with a move to Crystal Palace.

Emile Smith Rowe is another player Arsenal could sell in this window.

There is a good chance that the sale of the above three players could generate a combined fee of around £100 million. That should help Arsenal get Williams this summer.