Chelsea enter race to sign ‘incredible’ Arsenal target Edu and Arteta are ‘admirers’ of

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Chelsea have now reportedly entered the race to sign one Arsenal summer transfer target.

Chelsea and Arsenal are now both keen on securing the services of Nico Williams.

Arsenal are already known to hold an interest in Williams, who has been described as an “incredible” player by his brother and Athletic Bilbao teammate, Inaki Williams.

The 11-cap Spain international is certainly a huge talent. A tricky winger, Williams can be deployed on either flank, though, as a right-footer he would be a more natural fit on the left flank in Mikel Arteta’s system at Arsenal. The Gunners play with wingers who tend to cut inside on their stronger foot, be it Gabriel Martinelli on the left or Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side of the pitch. In truth, though, Williams could provide cover and competition for both of those players at the Emirates Stadium.

There is a pressing need to bring in back-up for Saka. As things stand, the Gunners lack depth in that part of the pitch. Whilst Arteta does have Reiss Nelson to call upon, the Hale End academy graduate is clearly not trusted to start in Premier League matches, as he is yet to do so this season. Wolves winger Pedro Neto is of interest to Arsenal and has been described as the perfect cover option for Saka, but Williams represents an intriguing alternative.

Arsenal face a fight with Chelsea to land Nico Williams

The 21-year-old has been in fine form for Athletic Bilbao this season. In 27 appearances across all competitions, the attacker has managed to rack up 6 goals and 11 assists. This already represents progress from last season, when he registered 6 goals and 5 assists in 36 La Liga outings.

Williams’ form has not just caught the eye of Arsenal, though. Whilst football.london have reported that the north London club are “admirers” of the player, they also state that Chelsea are now also plotting a swoop for the Athletic Bilbao star.

The Blues have invested heavily in their playing squad in recent windows, with mixed results. If Arsenal sporting director Edu is serious in his pursuit of Williams, then it is likely that the Emirates Stadium would represent a more attractive destination than Stamford Bridge.

The Gunners can offer Champions League football and are genuine Premier League title contenders. However, the prospect of restricted game time, as he would surely arrive behind both Saka and Martinelli in the pecking order, could prompt Williams to reconsider such a switch.