Arsenal have seemingly been handed a boost in their potential efforts to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams.
Having secured another campaign in the Champions League courtesy of Sunday's victory over Newcastle United, the Gunners are now able to give more thought to their plans for the summer.
Reports have indicated that Mikel Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta are making an effort to attract Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres to the Emirates Stadium.
Should that deal materialise, it would take up a considerable chunk of Arteta's budget, yet the Spaniard may be prepared to wheel and deal in order to try to take Arsenal to the next level.
That step would be taken if the North Londoners were able to secure the signature of Williams, who continues to be linked with bigger clubs despite his obvious loyalty to Athletic Bilbao.
© Imago
Laporta speaks on Williams
Last summer, Barcelona pursued a deal for the Spain international, who had starred at Euro 2024, before ultimately conceding defeat and moving for alternative targets.
With the Catalan giants having won La Liga and reached the Champions League semi-finals, they are in a far better position from a financial standpoint to sign the 22-year-old.
However, speaking on a TV3 programme called 'The night of champions', Laporta gave every indication that acquiring another world-class winger was not on their immediate radar.
Laporta said: "He was one of the candidates when we were evaluating [Dani] Olmo and Nico.
"We have a good profile of this player, who is an excellent player, but I think at this moment they are evaluating other options."
Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Fermin Lopez and Ansu Fati are Barcelona's wide options as it stands.
© Imago
Would Williams consider Arsenal?
With two years remaining on his current contract at San Mames, Williams is not exactly tied to Athletic Bilbao in the long term.
However, his boyhood club have secured a return to the Champions League for 2025-26, the first time they will participate in that competition with Williams at their disposal.
Although there are obvious benefits to cashing in on Williams this summer, Athletic Bilbao may be prepared to take the financial hit at a later date and keep their star man in their ranks with the understanding that he will be sold in 2026.
At that point, Barcelona could be in a stronger position to sign Williams, something that may appeal to the player.
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Darren Plant
