Arsenal are having another impressive season under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners are still fighting for major honours in the Premier League, which they currently top, and the Champions League, where they face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
After disappointment last season, where Arteta’s side failed to win a major trophy despite leading the league for much of the season, they needed to get the signings spot on in the summer.
So far, the money they spent on Declan Rice, which was £105m including add-ons, Kai Havertz for £65m and David Raya on loan have been worth it. Although Jurrien Timber has yet to play a prominent part due to injury, many believe the £38m fee Arsenal paid is good value.
If there is one area of their squad Arsenal could look to strengthen next, it is out wide. The Gunners are arguably quite light there, which has been a cause for concern for Arsenal fans. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are their first-choice wingers, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson are the other options and Gabriel Jesus has filled in there too.
With Arsenal seemingly likely to target a winger in the summer of 2024, there is one exciting talent that the Gunners have been linked with, in particular, who could come in and challenge Saka and Martinelli for the starting spots.
Arsenal looking to strengthen their attack
The name on everyone’s lips as to who could add to Arsenal’s depth out wide is Atheltic Club and Spain winger Nico Williams.
The 21-year-old, who is the younger brother of Ghana international Inaki Williams, is enjoying a stellar season, and has been one of the most in-form wingers in the world this season and could be available for just £47m, the value of the player's release clause.
It is not just Arsenal who are interested in Williams next summer. Athletic Club will also have to fend off interest from two other Premier League sides, Chelsea and Liverpool, to be specific if they want to keep their star man at San Mamés beyond this season.
In an interview with Caught Offside, Arsenal journalist Charles Watts explained the Gunners' interest in signing Williams, explaining that he is “understood to be high up on their list of potential targets”.
How Nico Williams compares to Bukayo Saka
Williams can certainly be considered a throwback winger. He loves to take on a defender in one-on-one situations, and is incredibly unpredictable on the ball, possessing the ability to go on the inside or outside of a defender.
Able to play on the left or right wing, he is a captivating forward and according to football analyst Ben Mattinson, could uproot Saka or Martinelli from the side. Mattinson explained that Williams is "good enough to displace" Arsenal's widemen and that he "could be a serious challenger & raise their game”.
In terms of profile, Williams is quite dissimilar to Saka. The Spaniard is an explosive ball carrier, and whilst Saka is not bad in this sense, the Bilbao star carries the ball at a far greater speed and can accelerate and decelerate in a way few players in the world can. He is two-footed and able to go either way, making him so unpredictable.
The numbers also stack up in Williams’ favour to suggest he is a better dribbler than Arsenal’s number seven. The Spain international ranks in the top 5% of positionally similar players in Europe for progressive carries per 90 minutes, averaging 6.11 per 90 minutes, compared to Saka’s 5.10 per 90 minutes according to Fbref.
To further back that up, the Athletic Club winger averages 3.36 carries into the final third per 90 minutes and 2.60 carries into the penalty box per 90. This places him in the top 15% and 12% respectively.
In comparison, Arsenal’s Saka averages 2.41 carries into the final third per 90 minutes and 2.16 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 43% and top 20% respectively, a clear drop-off.
Where the England winger excels compared to Arsenal's transfer target is with final-third creativity. According to Fbref, Williams averages just 1.68 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, the 63rd percentile, whereas Saka averages 2.04 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, the 78th percentile.
The Spain international also plays fewer key passes than the Arsenal man. The winger averages 1.83 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to Saka’s 2.46 key passes per 90 minutes. This places Williams in the 63rd percentile, whereas Saka ranks in the top 13%.
It is worth bearing in mind that Arsenal have a lot more possession than Athletic Club, meaning there is more chance for Williams to dribble and carry the ball than there is for Saka, because, naturally, they might face higher lines, whereas Arsenal come up against lots of teams who sit deep and defend in a low block.
To put that into statistical context as per Sofascore, Arsenal average 61.9% possession per match, the third most in the Premier League. In comparison, Athletic Club average just 49.5% possession per game, with nine other La Liga sides ahead of them.
Whilst some people believe Saka’s future could lie as more of an interior, Williams is undoubtedly a winger, and he could well become Arsenal’s first choice if Arteta does move Saka into a more central role one day.
Regardless, at just 21-years-old, with an incredibly unique profile and a good transfer value, Williams offers a really good option for the Gunners next summer. Whether or not they decide to bring him in, and can beat rivals to his signature remains to be seen, but he is certainly a good choice for Arsenal.
