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Arsenal suffer huge blow in race for £50m superstar as summer target 'agrees six-year deal' with European giants
Arsenal suffer huge blow in race for £50m superstar as summer target 'agrees six-year deal' with European giants

Daily Mail​

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Daily Mail​

Arsenal suffer huge blow in race for £50m superstar as summer target 'agrees six-year deal' with European giants

Nico Williams has moved a step closer to completing a blockbuster move to Barcelona this summer, according to a report. The Athletic Bilbao winger, who has been sought after by the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea in recent season, has reportedly agreed personal terms with the LaLiga champions. The Blaugrana are desperate to bolster their attacking options, particularly on the left flank, with sporting director Deco revealing last month that the side were interested in acquiring Marcus Rashford or Luis Diaz in the window. However, according to Fabrizio Romano, the 22-year-old has agreed on a six-year contract with the five-time European Cup winners with a salary in the region €7m-8m (£6m-7m). Despite having a release clause believed to be around £50m, Barca still need to agree on a financial package with the Basque club. Bilbao are believed to want the sum for the forward paid in full, while Barca favour a package that would involve payments in installments. Earlier this month, news of Williams' preference to remain in the Spanish top flight and join Barcelona came as a hammer blow to Arsenal, who are also keen to bring in a left-sided attacker this summer. Williams hopes to link up with Lamine Yamal and Hansi Flick at the Nou Camp. Barcelona targeted Williams last summer and are now back in the market for a winger. The Spanish international made his mark as one of the most promising wingers in the world after starring at Euro 2024 alongside Yamal. He scored Spain's opening goal in the 2-1 final victory over England in Berlin and has so far made 28 appearances for the national team, scoring six times. Last season he scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 45 appearances for Athletic Club as they finished fourth in LaLiga.

Arsenal cool interest as Barcelona step up transfer push
Arsenal cool interest as Barcelona step up transfer push

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Arsenal cool interest as Barcelona step up transfer push

Nico Williams and the Illusion of Transfer Clarity There is something almost operatic about the summer transfer window — a grand, looping saga in which logic is rationed and speculation billows through the gaps like stage fog. Within this performance, Nico Williams is the latest tenor warming up offstage, waiting to see whether the right cue — and cheque — will summon him to football's bigger spotlight. Photo: IMAGO Advertisement That spotlight, until recently, was assumed to be Premier League-shaped. Arsenal and Chelsea had kept his name in their notebooks, scrawled in thick ink and surrounded by arrows. But now, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, that ink is fading. Barcelona and Bayern Munich are stealing centre stage, forcing the English contenders into the wings. Shift in interest from England There was a time when Arsenal's interest in Williams felt both credible and coherent. His directness, dribbling, and flair would've complemented Mikel Arteta's tactical blueprint. Chelsea too, in their chaotic brilliance, seemed destined to at least toss a bid into the Bilbao pot. But as Ornstein notes, 'Arsenal and Chelsea have somewhat cooled their pursuit,' a phrase which, in transfer parlance, usually masks a myriad of unspoken complications. Instead, two continental behemoths have entered, or rather re-entered, the fray. Barcelona, the club of eternal reinvention and financial reinvention schemes, have become the frontrunners, thanks in part to Williams' friendship with La Roja teammate Lamine Yamal. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are offering clarity — an offer already sent, with another potentially en route. Financial figures and emotional pull There is a €60 million release clause, which makes things mathematically simple, but emotionally more complex. 'Williams already earns a high salary,' Ornstein reminds us, and Athletic Club, not known for feeble negotiations, have countered the noise with 'a lucrative proposal' to keep him tethered to Bilbao. It is a pitch soaked in sentiment — a Basque talent at a Basque club, in an era where such ties are increasingly ephemeral. Photo: IMAGO Advertisement Barcelona's pursuit is, as ever, both alluring and ludicrous. They have Raphinha in that position, they cannot currently register players with ease, and yet, in typical fashion, they are trying to make it happen. The Camp Nou hierarchy have a knack for denying financial gravity, attempting to reconstruct dynasties with empty coffers and eternal belief. Bayern, by contrast, represent a kind of cold efficiency. 'It is probable that Bradley Barcola… will remain at Paris Saint-Germain,' notes Ornstein, and with Florian Wirtz Liverpool-bound and Rafael Leao unlikely to be prised away, Williams becomes a more attractive puzzle piece. If Kompany's approach and Bayern's numbers align with the winger's ambitions, conversations may follow. What makes Williams worth it? Williams, lest we forget amid the spreadsheets and scouting reports, remains one of the most fearless runners in Europe. Only Yamal, Jamie Gittens, and Jeremy Doku attempted more than his 8.4 take-ons per game last season. He is not a player who dances past defenders — he lunges through them, daring them to blink first. Photo: IMAGO Advertisement While his season began sluggishly after a draining Euros, Williams still delivered a goal or assist every other game. But it is his volatility — in the best sense — that makes him such a draw. One moment he is stretching the touchline, hugging the flank, the next he is cutting inside and unleashing chaos with a deft flick or low drive. As Ornstein details, he lit up Athletic Club's Europa League run and turned a two-goal deficit against Roma into a moment of Basque triumph. That electricity, that spontaneity, is what makes clubs dream. The numbers are impressive. The eye test, even more so. Dialogue, but no decision And so the saga ticks on. 'Although a concrete direction of travel is yet to emerge,' Ornstein writes, 'dialogue continues between all parties.' It is football's eternal refrain: talks ongoing, interest maintained, package complicated. In truth, the only certainty here is uncertainty. Advertisement Perhaps this is what makes the Williams chase so beguiling. Not just because of who might sign him, but what his eventual choice will say — about ambition, about loyalty, about the post-modern footballer who is both brand and boyhood idol. Our View – EPL Index Analysis Williams felt like a statement signing, the sort of player who might have signalled real progress. His profile is precisely what Arsenal have lacked at times on the left: direct pace, unpredictability, and a willingness to take risks in the final third. Watching him drift toward the arms of Barcelona or Bayern is a reminder of the hierarchy Arsenal are still battling. Yes, £51 million is a considerable outlay, and yes, his wages would likely challenge the Gunners' current structure. But these are the very gambles that clubs like Arsenal must take if they are to bridge the gap to City or to push further in Europe. If the club truly 'cooled their pursuit,' it suggests hesitation at exactly the wrong time. Advertisement Perhaps this is simply due diligence. Perhaps Berta and Arteta have eyes elsewhere. But watching a player of Williams' calibre — and Premier League readiness — drift towards La Liga or the Bundesliga without a real fight will sting. There will be other targets. There always are. But sometimes it's not just about who you miss. It's about why you didn't try harder.

Northern Spain's buzzy beach town just 25-minutes from Bilbao
Northern Spain's buzzy beach town just 25-minutes from Bilbao

Times

time4 days ago

  • Times

Northern Spain's buzzy beach town just 25-minutes from Bilbao

Travel norms dictate that as soon as visitors leave the city centre, so do the vibes. In London terms, that means Mitcham or Neasden will feel far less desirable than Mayfair or Notting Hill. And fair enough: no one wants to be so far from the action. Except in Bilbao. For while there is little to recommend around the city's fringes, I'd argue the single best place to stay is in the suburban town of Getxo, seven miles north from Plaza Nueva in Bilbao's historical centre. How come? Well, not only is Getxo [pronounced GET-zho] affluent and beautiful, it has its own terrific food scene, an A-list attraction in the form of Vizcaya Bridge, great architecture, thinner crowds and, crucially, four sandy beaches — four more than anywhere else in Bilbao. It helps that Getxo is on the estuary of the Nervión, while downtown Bilbao is arranged along that river as it snakes inland. In short, this is the clever clogs' base in (greater) Bilbao. Getxo largely took form in the early 20th century, as this part of Spain's Basque Country became an iron-mining hub. Newly loaded and craving space, the richest Bilbainos soon decamped here, erecting opulent, estuary-side mansions that looked out across El Abra Bay. Until then a fishing village, Algorta was soon subsumed as a district within Getxo. Today it's known as the town's best place to eat and, come dusk, nearly every pedestrian on El Abra's promenade seems to be sauntering towards it — including me, soon after I meet the local guide SaioaMartín Ucar for a pintxos tour (three-hour walking tour from £56pp, excluding pintxos; Algorta is divided, I learn, between its original southern quarter, clustered with flower-garlanded 17th-century houses, and a newer portion further uphill. Both are crammed with taverns serving pintxos, the Basque variation of tapas that usually come skewered, for a few euros apiece. Locals reliably flood here Thursday until Saturday, Martín Ucar tells me — and she is one, so she'd know. 'We tend to have a glass of wine and a pintxo in one place, then more in another, and so on,' she says. So she and I do precisely that, visiting six of her favourites. Inside busy Itxas Bide, a tavern on Algorta's promenade, I scarf a sublime sheep's milk cheese croquette (Muelle Ereaga Kaia, 16). In the newer streets uphill, Ajuria turns out to be rightly famous for its moreish patatas bravas tortillas, a simple mix of eggs, potato and onion (Andrés Cortina Kalea, 2). The trendier Kantauri serves an inventive crabmeat concoction with a topping of tomato and paprika-spiced aioli (Av Basagoiti, 65); Martín Ucar spots a Bilbao food critic arriving as we leave for Unai Jatetxea, opposite, for pintxuleta, slices of steak with twiglike fries, accompanied by txakoli, the semi-sparkling Basque white wine (Av Algortako Etorbidea, 96). • 17 of the best things to do in Bilbao Inside the low-ceilinged Bar Arrantzale I'm also introduced to kalimotxo, a marriage of red plonk and Coca-Cola created inadvertently, so the legend goes, at a religious festival in Getxo five decades ago ( 'Some youngsters had left wine out all day in the sun and it got spoilt,' Martín Ucar explains. 'So they tried rescuing it by adding Coke and thought, maybe because they were very drunk, 'That's nice.'' She laughs upon seeing my pained expression after sipping some. 'Now you learn why only teenagers drink this!' My Getxo hotel, Palacio Arriluce, is worlds more refined than kalimotxo — so much so that it elicited an involuntary 'wow' when I arrived. 'It's incredible, no?' said Iker, one of the bellhops, with typical Basque sincerity. Incredible is spot-on. Fronted by a croquet lawn, Palacio Arriluce is a honey-stone confection in a mix of medieval, neogothic and English country house styles below elaborate turrets. It was built in 1912 for one of those newly minted families. Accordingly, there are wondrous views from its rear over cascading gardens and a slender pool (and accompanying bar) down to the busy promenade, then across El Abra, its various marinas and small cruise port to the dark-green Triano Mountains. • 14 of the best hotels in Bilbao Things are just as visually rich inside. Previously a private home, the palace was painstakingly converted into a hotel over four years, opening its doors in October 2023. Many of the owners' original artworks — from colourful modernist prints by Sonia Delaunay to Frantisek Kupka's cubist lithographs — now accompany newly commissioned pieces, including vinelike sculptures mounted on one lounge's walls. The old wood-panelled library and chapel, complete with stained-glass windows, now combine to host a memorable cocktail bar named after Kupka. Next door is the blue-painted Delaunay restaurant, where the chef Beñat Ormaetxea reimagines traditional Spanish-Basque dishes. Six and ten-course tasting menus (£77/£116) allow diners to dive in fully, but even by going à la carte I get to relish his flavour-crammed duck ravioli and rich, deconstructed chocolate mousse (mains from £28). There are 34 rooms in the main house, with a further 15 in a newer colonnade block, surrounded by gardens alongside the croquet pitch. Every white-walled room is equipped with an espresso machine and original artwork. Mine, one of the more desirable Marina suites, chucks in a window seat and a balcony terrace to fully capitalise on its position facing El Abra. With penance for pintxos overload required, I get a lift from Palacio Arriluce to wild Gorrondatxe, the furthest of Getxo's beaches, and walk a paved coast path for three miles around the estuary and back into town. Gradually a series of wooded dunes are replaced by high cliffs streaked photogenically with geological layers. Beyond the cute La Galea lighthouse buildings begin to reappear, including a 300-year-old windmill. • 17 of the best things to do in Bilbao At the Nervión's mouth on Getxo's far side, beyond mansions almost as impressive as Palacio Arriluce, stands the Unesco-listed Vizcaya Bridge, or Puente Colgante to locals. Built in iron in 1893, it has the distinction of being the world's oldest transporter bridge, with an interlocking frame by Alberto Palacio, an Eiffel acolyte. To cross the river passengers can ride a white gondola suspended by cables or brave the enclosed walkway on top, 45m up. I opt for the gondola, spending only 50p on the 90-second journey. With my Bilbao travel card, a perk for every Palacio Arriluce guest, I spend even less the following day on my 25-minute metro journey into Bilbao proper. My first destination is Casco Viejo, the old town, where a grid of narrow streets has houses painted in shades of sweetcorn, apricot and strawberry. Walls stretching high above are connected by bunting, and in the central Plaza Nueva café terraces spread out from elegantly arched colonnades. Soon, having taken the ultra-steep funicular up Monte Artxanda, I am gazing down on to Bilbao's headline attraction: the silvery Guggenheim Museum outpost, designed by Frank Gehry in 1997 on the bank of the Nervión in curving, wavelike style. Then, half an hour later, I'm there myself, fighting through the hordes to reach its third-floor permanent collection. This includes a pop art room centred around metallic Jeff Koons tulips, and another chamber where I stare transfixed at a cheery, three-tone Rothko, until my view is wholly obscured by one of the numerous noisy group tours (£13; The metro home is similarly chocka, so I treat myself to a rejuvenating session in Arriluce's basement spa, rotating indulgently between the hydrotherapy pool, steam sauna and hammam. By 6pm I'm back exploring Getxo afresh. There are still groups bronzing and bouncing volleyballs on Ereaga beach when I arrive. Small sunset-pink clouds appear far ahead. Live music escapes from bars and kiosks along the curving corniche, and young adults throng the steps up into Algorta. They're simply eating pintxos, drinking, laughing and having fun in the open air. It's a seductive local scene — and not one I'd ever have come across by staying in central Bilbao. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Richard Mellor was a guest of Palacio Arriluce, which has B&B doubles from £337 ( Visit Getxo ( and Vueling, which has return flights from Gatwick to Bilbao, with three daily services from £75 ( By Ellen Himmelfarb Tucked tightly into an inlet at the edge of Cantabria, San Vicente de la Barquera has a small-town feel and a compact 13th-century bastion to match. Venture east from the shallow fisherman's port and you can hike rolling hills around the fen-like Oyambre Nature Reserve all the way up to quiet Playa de Gerra. But not before exploring the open market and a lunch of mariscada (seafood stew) at Augusto, the nautical-themed family-run restaurant next door (mains from £19; Stroll over the river to stay at the Nordic-style beachfront villa El Mirador de Meró One night's self-catering for eight from £183 ( Fly or take the ferry to Santander Stroll the elevated beach boardwalk out to the wild promontory to track A Coruña's history back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Dramatic views over the rocky Atlantic belie the cosmopolitan charm of the old pedestrianised centre. Loll about in the cafés around Praza de María Pita, gazing out at ornate domes and overwrought monuments, then take your pick of museums, including the sail-shaped Domus science museum (£1.50; Noa Boutique Hotel is across the ria, near the breezy cove at Lumebo Room-only doubles from £98 ( Fly to A Coruña or take the ferry to Santander Just over the border from the far sleepier French Basque country, San Sebastian is the region's social hub, with its elegant promenade, soulful old town and world-class pintxo bars. And, of course, there's La Concha beach, a swimwear catwalk. Tucked into a golden-stone street just behind is the buzzy little grill Maun (mains from £21; and a few minutes further along the beachfront is Lasala Plaza, with a rooftop pool overlooking the Room-only doubles from £115 ( Fly to San Sebastián Have you visited Getxo? Let us know in the comments

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