Arsenal are actively looking to bolster their squad in the final stretch of the transfer window, with Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams emerging as their highest priority target for reinforcements. The decision stems from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's need for more striking options and his recognition of Nico Williams' outstanding performance in the Europa League.
However, Arsenal's reinforcement budget is not set in stone, but varies depending on whether a player fits the team's designated goals. The club are willing to pay a premium for players who they believe can make an immediate debut and make a big impact, as was proven when they successfully signed Rice last summer. Nico Williams has a release clause of up to £48 million, but he seems to prefer staying at Athletic Bilbao for now, pursuing his dream of joining Barcelona in the medium term and continuing his career in Spain.
Faced with such a challenge, Arteta may adopt a flexible reinforcement strategy, looking for players like Trossard who can bring a different style of play to the team, even if they won't be in the starting lineup very often. The transfer fee for such a player is relatively low, allowing Arsenal to reserve more of their budget for targets who are absolute starters.
After frustrated efforts to find a top 9 striker, Arsenal's reinforcement focus has shifted to wing players. Nico Williams is undoubtedly the preferred choice for this position, but the team is aware of the potential difficulty in signing him and has begun to consider other alternative options such as Atlanta's Luqman.
