Forward has "already decided" to join Arsenal with signing "imminent"

A very audacious claim has surfaced from Europe, with Arsenal believed to be closing in on the signing of a forward for manager Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal suffer attacking shortage after injuries to first team stars

The Gunners were forced to line up with a front three of previously unfancied loanee Raheem Sterling, highly-rated teenager Ethan Nwaneri and usual super sub Leandro Trossard against Leicester City this afternoon – eventually calling on Mikel Merino to settle the match.

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Kai Havertz is set to miss the remainder of 2024/2025 after tearing his hamstring on a training camp trip to Dubai, and Gabriel Jesus is also out for the rest of this Premier League campaign with a ruptured ACL.

With Jesus not back until next season alongside Havertz, Arteta’s only real striking option for the foreseeable is Sterling, and the former Man City star must now prove why Arsenal elected to sign him on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea last summer.

Arteta refused to rule out signing a free agent for Arsenal, before their match at the King Power Stadium, but the options at their disposal in that regard are barren, to say the least.

Interim sporting director Jason Ayto and co will be very eager to ensure that Arsenal are not thrust into a position where they’re this short on attackers next campaign, as they will be looking to mount another Premier League title challenge.

In terms of their top forward targets, one name who’s refusing to go away is Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams.

The £200,000-per-week Spain star played a major role in his country’s run to Euro 2024 glory last year, after he bagged a very impressive 19 assists in all competitions for Bilbao last season.

He hasn’t exactly matched that figure so far this term, but the 22-year-old remains a player high on the their radar heading into this summer. Reports suggest that Arsenal are prepared to pay Williams’ £48 million release clause, with Spanish news outlet Carpetas Blaugranas now making a very bold claim of their own.

Nico Williams decides to join Arsenal with signing “imminent”

According to their information, Williams has “already made” his decision to join Arsenal this summer. They write that his signing is “imminent” and could become official “in the coming days” – which comes as quite the statement.

This follows an accelerated effort by the north Londoners to land him “in recent days”, with Arteta viewing him as a “key” potential addition at N5. Carpetas Blaugranas adds that only the “official confirmation” is missing, as Arsenal beat Barcelona in the race for his signature.

The news website appear convinced that Williams is set to make a move to the Emirates Stadium, and it is believed the opportunity to play Premier League football has proved “decisive” in his thinking.

Williams is also said to have informed Spain teammate Yamine Lamal of this looming Arsenal move. Time will tell whether the Basque-native does end up in Arteta’s clutches, but the prospect of him putting pen to paper is a very enticing one.