Emmanuel Petit has urged Mikel Arteta to sign Spain World Cup star Nico Williams, whom Arsenal attempted to buy last summer, instead of pursuing Morgan Rogers. With a Premier League title to defend and a Champions League final loss to avenge, Arteta is looking to make a big splash in the transfer market. Top of his shopping list is a new left-winger, with the futures of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli uncertain.
Morgan Rogers top target but costly
Morgan Rogers appears to be Arsenal's primary target, with the England international reportedly 'quite keen' on the move. However, Aston Villa's £100 million-plus valuation may prove a stumbling block. Petit has suggested the Gunners explore a move for a slightly cheaper alternative: Nico Williams.
Petit's endorsement of Williams
'Arsenal were fighting to get him last season,' Petit said via the Sunday Mirror. 'He's so powerful in terms of dribbling. This guy will bring such a huge improvement for Arsenal if they can get him. If he can take Arsenal to the next level, it's money well spent.'
Arsenal were locked in a battle against Barcelona for Williams' signature last summer, only for the winger to sign a new 10-year contract with boyhood club Athletic Bilbao. That contract reportedly contains a €100 million (£86 million) release clause, but the 23-year-old's reported base salary of £277,000 a week would make a transfer very difficult.
Williams' recent struggles
The 2025/26 season was not Williams' best, with several injury issues restricting him to just 20 La Liga starts, and only six goals and four assists. A key player in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, he has not been able to have an impact at the 2026 World Cup yet and may not feature in the round of 32 clash against Austria on Thursday.
Injury update from Spain
Spain have issued a positive injury update on Williams and Yeremy Pino after fears that the wingers were set to miss the rest of the World Cup. Both Williams and Crystal Palace's Pino were on the receiving end of poor challenges after coming off the bench in Spain's final group game against Uruguay.
It has now been confirmed that Williams has a groin injury, while Pino has suffered an 'acromioclavicular sprain' – an injury to the ligaments connecting the collarbone and shoulder blade – but avoided a tournament-ending collarbone fracture. An official update from the Spanish football federation says the injuries are of 'moderate severity', though it is still not clear whether either player will feature again at the World Cup.
'Today is one of the worst days of my life,' Williams wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Saturday. 'I'm injured again after a very complicated year, in which I fought many battles against a pubalgia, but won the war with sacrifice and most of all, responsibility. I overcame that injury, and then another one on my hamstring tested me again. Once more, I stopped smiling but I wasn't going to stop. Yesterday, I suffered another injury after a challenge by a fellow professional, driven by frustration, discontent, and sadness over his situation. It was a play that, in my opinion, could have been avoided because it was completely unnecessary. The story is not over, see you as soon as possible at this World Cup.'
