Arsenal burst back into race for dominant Euro forward, as Barcelona failure can ignite stunning transfer

Arsenal are back into the mix for Nico Williams, and will reportedly begin to move if it becomes clear he cannot sign for Barcelona this summer.

Williams has been highly sought after following a fantastic season in Spain in 2023/24. The winger scored eight goals and provided 19 assists in all competitions.

And his Euro 2024 performances have not hurt his chances of securing a big move away from Athletic Bilbao.

Indeed, Williams was directly involved in three goals for Spain – he scored and assisted in the round of 16 win against Georgia, and bagged the opening goal in the 2-1 victory over England in the final.

During the Euros, it looked most likely that Barcelona would snare him, despite previous interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – many of which have now backed off.

That’s partly because La Liga president Javier Tebas has suggested the Spanish giants are “really close” to being able to close a deal for the winger, by triggering his £49million release clause.

If that happens, Williams is open to moving to Barcelona, which means any other club going in for him right now seems pointless, as he is likely to wait until the big move is possible.

But according to GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal think there’s an avenue in which it does not happen at all.

DON’T MISS: TEN Euro 2024 stars Arsenal are interested in as potential transfer targets

Arsenal ready for Barcelona failure

Indeed, the report states they are poised to make a U-turn and return to the race for Williams if Barcelona are unable to strike a deal for him.

It’s said he has recently re-emerged on Arsenal’s shortlist this summer.

After his dominant performances in the Euros for Spain, that is not a surprise.

Stiff competition is expected for Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard if Williams does head to the Emirates this summer.

And we could soon have an answer on where he’s going to end up, with Barcelona expecting the winger to respond to a contract offer in the coming days.

Hansi Flick will also need to know if the club can actually pay for Williams before the move goes ahead.

If not, Arsenal will be firmly in the mix, along with Chelsea, who are said to be willing to pay good wages, and Aston Villa.

The Villans have already held talks with Williams, TEAMtalk sources have revealed, so they should not be discounted.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive Barcelona transfers of all time and how they fared: Coutinho, Dembele, Neymar…