Arsenal transfer latest: Mikel Arteta faces battle with Bayern Munich, Barcelona for star forward in summer window

Arsenal look the imaginable of losing retired connected Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, who is reportedly connected superior involvement to Bayern Munich.

The Gunners are successful hopeless request of additions successful the guardant enactment pursuing confirmation from Mikel Arteta of Bukayo Saka's superior hamstring injury.

Saka was substituted successful the archetypal fractional of his side's match against Crystal Palace past weekend, and is acceptable to miss retired connected enactment for a fig of weeks.

With Arsenal already trailing first-placed Liverpool by six points - contempt having played a crippled much than Arne Slot's Reds - Saka's wounded could person catastrophic consequences for the London club.

In much atrocious quality for Arteta, German outlet Bild study that Bundesliga broadside Bayern Munich are earnestly considering making a determination for transportation people Nico Williams successful the summer.

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Analysed: Nico Williams

Barcelona had agelong been linked with a imaginable determination for Williams, who came into the 2024-25 play arsenic a Euro 2024 victor with Spain, playing a starring relation connected the near broadside of attack.

Blessed with unthinkable pace, the Athletic Bilbao winger prefers to tally astatine opponents and is astatine his champion erstwhile teammates play straight to him astatine the earliest opportunity.

The 22-year-old helped his nine broadside decorativeness 5th and triumph the Copa del Rey for the archetypal clip successful 40 years past term, scoring 8 goals portion providing 16 assists successful 37 appearances for the La Liga squad successful each competitions.

Williams has not been arsenic productive truthful acold this campaign, scoring 2 times and registering 5 assists successful 23 appearances for Athletic Bilbao, but dips successful signifier are earthy for young players.

The Spaniard has a reported merchandise clause worthy £47million, and it makes consciousness arsenic to wherefore helium would pull truthful overmuch attraction fixed his signature would not needfully bid an outrageous transportation fee.

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Can Arsenal spend to hold until the summer?

Arteta has already spent astir £700m connected caller arrivals, but contempt spending truthful heavily, helium has arguably near the Gunners airy successful attack.

Saka has scored 5 goals and produced 10 assists successful the Premier League this season, with nary different subordinate successful the Arsenal squad registering much than 8 nonstop extremity contributions.

The Gunners person besides travel nether scrutiny for their reliance connected acceptable pieces and person been accused by immoderate for supposedly lacking of creativity from unfastened play.

Saka is 1 of Arsenal's main set-piece takers, and with the attacker perchance acceptable to miss games against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, his lack could yet beryllium costly successful the Gunners' pursuit of the Premier League title.

Signing a guardant successful January could beryllium risky and perchance prohibitively expensive, but it is hard to spot however Arsenal tin vie for the biggest honours without reinforcement successful the winter.

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