Exclusive: Don’t rule out Liverpool & Arsenal but Chelsea out of race for £45m transfer, says expert

Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have been among the clubs linked with Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams in recent times, but Ben Jacobs has cleared up the situation in his latest Daily Briefing column.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the piece, Jacobs suggested that Arsenal and Liverpool can’t be ruled out in the race for Williams at the moment, even if the Spain international looks expensive.

Jacobs has explained that Williams has a £45million release clause in his contract, but his wage demands are high, which could be an issue, with Chelsea already leaving the race for his signature.

The 21-year-old is undoubtedly a top talent, but it remains to be seen if clubs will really feel he’s worth paying £200,000 a week for when he’s still relatively inexperienced and unproven at the very highest level.

Williams transfer: Arsenal and Liverpool in the market for a winger

Discussing Williams’ future, Jacobs made it clear that both Arsenal and Liverpool want a new winger this summer, so cannot be ruled out in the race for Williams just yet.

“Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams is having an outstanding Euro 2024 for Spain so far, but suitors are well aware a deal is problematic,” Jacobs said.

“Williams has a release clause of over £45m, which is seen as value in the market, but the overall cost of a transfer is still expensive – the deal comes with taxes and Williams would expect a wage of in excess of £200k-per-week.

“Chelsea are not in the race. They ruled out a bid for Williams before they tried for Michael Olise. Barcelona appreciate the player but not the price. For his part, Williams is very open to that move.

“Arsenal and Liverpool still can’t be discounted and are both in the market for a winger this summer.”

One imagines Williams’ future will become clearer after Euro 2024, so it might still be a bit of a wait for clarify on this situation.