Arsenal could potentially drop their interest in signing Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams after baulking over one demand, according to reports.
The Gunners beat Fulham on Tuesday night to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to nine points before the Reds restored their 12-point lead by defeating Everton on Wednesday.
And now the odds are stacked against Arsenal as they look likely to end the season as a Premier League runner-up for a third campaign in a row.
Arsenal still have a chance of beating Real Madrid in the Champions League with the two-legged quarter-final coming up later this month.
Mikel Arteta confirmed earlier in the week that Arsenal will be having a “big summer” in the transfer window with rumours it could be a record-breaking market for the Gunners.
Athletic Bilbao star Williams is understood to be one of their top targets as they look to improve their attack in the summer with Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk recently claiming that the Spain international is ‘closer to a move to Arsenal than Bayern Munich’.
Falk wrote in his Caught Offside column: ‘Not True: Bayern Munich are in the lead for Nico Williams. I think, at the moment, Williams is closer to a move to Arsenal than Bayern Munich, as the Bundesliga club can’t be as concrete as they would like as things currently stand.’
But now the Gunners’ interest in Williams has taken a blow with reports in Spain claiming his ‘main condition’ for joining Arsenal has pushed the winger ‘closer to Barcelona’.
In a recent meeting between the player’s entourage and Arsenal, Nico made his main condition for signing for the Gunners clear: he wants to be the highest-paid player in the squad.
‘A requirement that has raised eyebrows in London, where, while they greatly value the Spanish international’s talent, they are not willing to break their current salary scale for him.
This move by Nico has put a stop to negotiations with the English club, which until now had taken the lead over Barça. Arsenal’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, had already been in contact with the player’s entourage, and Mikel Arteta sees him as an ideal fit to complete his attack.
‘However, the player’s high salary has made Arsenal reconsider its bid , at least under the current conditions.
‘On the other hand, the situation at Barça is completely different. Although the Catalan club is unable to offer him a contract at the level he could receive in the Premier League, Nico would be willing to accept a significantly lower salary if it means wearing the Blaugrana shirt. The reason is clear: his desire to play alongside friends and teammates like Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, and Pedri.’
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