Arsenal legend urges Arteta to sign ‘devastating’ forward amid Liverpool interest

Emmanuel Petit thinks that Arsenal should go after one of La Liga’s rising stars this summer, but the club will face stiff competition for his signature.

The Gunners are in a strong position right now and young players from around the globe will no doubt be attracted to the project at the Emirates.

Indeed, Arsenal currently have the joint-third youngest squad in the Premier League and Mikel Arteta has earned a good reputation when it comes to developing youngsters.

In terms of the upcoming window, strengthening their forward department is seemingly among the club’s top priorities for the summer.

Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams is one of the players who has been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks and Petit thinks that the 21-year-old would be a good fit in north London.

“Would Nico Williams be a good fit at Arsenal? Absolutely, he’s been one of the best young players in Spain this season,” Petit told Betway.

“He’s got five goals and ten assists already this season. He’s fast, powerful and always runs towards the goal and facing defenders with great skills and dribbling.

“He can play on the right or left and every time I watch Athletic, they always give him the ball because he’s so good at facing two defenders.

“He’d be a very good addition to any team as his skills are devastating. I love players who are always provoking defenders.”

READ MORE – Arsenal go cold on Toney transfer as Arteta draws up four-man list of preferred striker signings

Arsenal will face serious competition for his signature

While the Gunners have been linked with Williams of late, they aren’t alone in their interest. Recent reports have also indicated that the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea are keeping tabs on the young forward.

Indeed, earlier this month TEAMtalk revealed that Williams is Chelsea’s priority target for the summer. Chelsea currently have the youngest squad in the league and are seemingly keen to add even more young talent to their squad.

Williams has predominately played on the left-hand side for Athletic and he’s produced three goals and seven assists in 23 La Liga matches.

Liverpool have also been keeping close tabs on the winger of late. According to HITC, the Reds are looking at Williams as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, should he be sold in the summer.

Although Williams prefers to play on the left wing, he has also been used on the right-hand side on a number of occasions.

After signing a fresh contract extension with Athletic in December, his contract with the Basque club runs until the summer of 2027. This gives Athletic a decent amount of bargaining power when the bids for Williams eventually come in.

For Arsenal, he would an excellent option for Arteta to have at his disposal, especially with how fluid their forward three is. However, they will have to cough up a sizeable amount of money to prize him out of Spain.

DON’T MISS – Arsenal to blow Liverpool away and sign classy star who dreams of Arteta link-up; new contract won’t stop Edu