Arsenal may face competition from several Premier League rivals to land the highly-rated 21-year-old
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit(Image credit: Getty Images)
Former Arsenal great Emmanuel Petit has given Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams a glowing reference amid recent links to the Gunners.
The 21-year-old reportedly has the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea all monitoring him ahead of the summer window and has a release clause of £43million.
Aston Villa have looked to tempt the Spain international to the Premier League over the past two transfer windows, only for Williams to stay in the Basque Country, where he has netted six times and provided 12 assists so far this term.
Nico Williams in action for Athletic Bilbao (Image credit: Getty Images)
These performances have impressed Petit, who has admitted he would love to see him at the Emirates.
“Would Nico Williams be a good fit at Arsenal?” he asked Betway. "Absolutely, he’s been one of the best young players in Spain 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.”
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Despite Arsenal’s recent glut of goals, it is believed that the club will look to bolster their attack in the summer window.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include tomes on Leeds United and the England national team.
