Nico Williams Posts Cryptic Message as Athletic Bilbao Star Decides on Arsenal Transfer

Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams, who has been linked with moves to Arsenal, Barcelona, and PSG this summer, seems to have resolved his future.

Arsenal has shown interest in Williams for some time, but a transfer to Emirates Stadium this summer never seemed likely.

The 22-year-old’s impressive performances at Euro 2024 attracted attention from Barcelona and PSG, in addition to the Gunners.

Following his goal against England in the Euro 2024 final on July 14, Williams has been enjoying some downtime ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Recently, his social media activity suggests that Williams has returned to his hometown of Pamplona, in northern Spain.

Williams posted a picture of six young boys standing in front of a mural of himself, located near a park where he played as a child.

The mural, titled ‘Origen,’ by street artist LKN, depicts Williams as a young boy, shirtless and wearing football boots. Alongside the Instagram post, Williams wrote, “31012” followed by a heart emoji and a crying emoji.

Williams has been relatively quiet on social media in recent weeks amidst speculation about his future. Reports now suggest that he has decided to stay at Athletic Bilbao for the next season, which is a significant setback for Arsenal, Barcelona, and PSG.

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Williams had promised his brother Inaki that he would play one more season at Bilbao, and it appears he will honor that promise.

Journalist Daniel Sobis, who covers La Liga in Poland, also reported that Williams has decided to stay with Athletic Bilbao for the 2024/25 season.

With three years remaining on his contract, there was no immediate pressure on Bilbao to sell Williams this summer.

However, clubs like Arsenal may revisit the situation next summer. football.london understands that the Gunners are interested in signing a forward this window, although no leading candidate has emerged yet.

Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde addressed Williams’ future over the weekend but remained non-committal.

Valverde said, “I’m calm, just like before. I know that the transfer window closes on August 31. We are going to try to improve our team, and the rest of the teams will do the same. We already know that Nico is good; we’ll see what happens because every day something new comes out in the press. What we can’t do is let ourselves be guided by that, but simply by the things that happen.”