La Liga star’s ‘next team will be’ Arsenal as winger ‘practically agrees everything’ with Gunners

Arsenal have ‘practically already agreed everything’ with Nico Williams ahead of a summer move from Athletic Bilbao, according to reports.

The Gunners are having a decent season in the Premier League but are now almost certainly set to finish as runners-up for the third season on the trot.

Premier League leaders Liverpool took a 15-point lead in the title race over the weekend as the Reds beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday before Arsenal were held 1-1 to Manchester United on Sunday.

It would take a minor miracle for Liverpool to allow Arsenal back into the title race from here with the Reds losing just one Premier League match all season.

Mikel Arteta is under pressure from some fans, who expected fourth-placed Manchester City to be their main rivals this season, with the Spaniard set to be under huge demands next term to deliver the Premier League.

They still have a chance of winning the Champions League this season after thrashing PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash last week.

But Arteta and incoming sporting director Andrea Berta already have an eye on the summer transfer window with Athletic Bilbao winger Williams their key target.

Reports in Spain now claim that Williams ‘rejects Barca because he has a closed agreement to leave Athletic’ with Arsenal set to be his next destination.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick ‘cannot guarantee’ Williams a starting place in his line-up next season ‘given the fantastic performances of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha’.

And the report adds that Williams ‘has practically already agreed everything with his next team, which will be Arsenal, after Mikel Arteta has been able to convince him, promising him an ambitious project, in which he will be a fundamental element.’

The report continues: ‘The Gunners are ready to get everything done and get ahead of the rest of the bidders, which are quite a few, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus of Turin.’

Williams, who won the European Championship in the summer with Spain, reportedly rejected a number of offers from top clubs to remain in Bilbao after the Euros.

Explaining why he chose to stay at Athletic, Williams said over the weekend: “This relationship we have at the heart of the club is incredible. Everyone respects everyone else, which is incredible. This atmosphere, I’ll never have it anywhere else.

“I decided to stay because of that. I took the decision I thought was the right one. I’m happy, and I’m trying to do my best.”