Nico Williams is Arsenal’s priority signing on the wings this summer, but the Gunners have other options and have added Rafael Leao to that list.
Isaan Khan reports for the Daily Mail that after the signings of Martin Zubimendi and hopefully a striker, Arsenal’s next priority is bringing in a left-winger.
Khan claims the Gunners’ top target is Nico Williams of Athletic Club, and they’ll compete with rival interest from Chelsea for the player.
But if that move becomes impossible, Arsenal have other players lined up, including AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
The report follows a similar claim from Daniele Longo for Calciomercato on Friday, who wrote that Andrea Berta had included Leao among his top targets for a signing this summer.
Yet it seems the potential signing of Leao is even more complicated than a move for Williams. For a start, Chelsea are also interested in him too, but there’s also the fact that AC Milan don’t want to sell.
Longo claimed that only a “shock offer” could lead to a negotiation, clarifying that it would have to be close to €100m (£84.6m).
Williams won’t come cheap either, with his wages proving particularly problematic for all interested parties. But with a €58m (£49.1m) release clause, Arsenal would have an extra £35m or so to put into his wages compared to Leao’s transfer fee alone.
As for Bynoe-Gittens, the exact value of his release clause will become clearer when we know whether or not Borussia Dortmund have qualified for European football.