Arsenal crushed as Barcelona chief Deco drops major transfer hint: ‘He wants to come’

Harry Watkinson 23 Jun 2025 7:10 AM

Barcelona sporting director Deco and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

Arsenal will be forced to look at alternative winger targets as Barcelona push to seal the signing of Athletic Club star Nico Williams, who the Gunners have tracked.

Mikel Arteta’s side are set to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi and are closing in on a deal for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, but their business is far from done.

A new winger is a priority for Arsenal. However, despite being big fans of Williams, as TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher revealed on April 3, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco insists that the 22-year-old has his heart set on a switch to the Catalan giants.

“Yes, Nico Williams wants to come [to Barca],” Deco said in an interview. “And we will try!

“Nico, same as other players, is showing a strong desire to come… and if the right conditions are met in his case, we’ll definitely try to complete the deal.

“To sign a player, you have to follow the right steps. In this case, everything is very clear. He has a [release] clause. Then we’ll see how we can make what the player and the club want happen.”

Williams notched an impressive 11 goals and seven assists across all competitions for Athletic last season. He is now a regular for Spain, and still has room for improvement. The prospect of him and Lamine Yamal playing together for Barcelona is undoubtedly an exciting one.

Barcelona close in on Nico Williams

Barcelona’s financial problems are well documented, but it seems that they are doing all they can to get a deal for Williams over the line.

The winger has a €62m (£53m / $71.5m) release clause in his contract, which many suitors are more than happy to pay, including Barcelona and Arsenal.

The issue for Williams’ signing has always been his wages. He currently earns around £170,000 per week with Athletic, and reports suggest he is demanding significantly more than that to leave.

Barcelona is his ideal next destination, so it may be that he is willing to accept a little lower than initially thought to seal his dream transfer.

The move could have ramifications for Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford, too, who wants to join Barcelona as his career hangs in the balance. Whether the Catalans will move for Williams and Rashford is unclear.

As for Arsenal, they will have to look elsewhere if Williams does complete his move to Barcelona, which looks increasingly likely.

The Gunners have been linked with Real Madrid star Rodrygo and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma in recent weeks, and it will be interesting to see who they opt to focus on.

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