In one of the summer’s most talked-about transfer sagas, Spanish winger Nico Williams has finally revealed why he turned down lucrative offers from Liverpool and Barcelona to sign for Arsenal — and it all came down to one special relationship in North London.
Speaking at his unveiling press conference, Williams opened up about the difficult decision he had to make and named the Arsenal player who played a decisive role in convincing him to head to the Emirates.
“Liverpool and Barcelona both came with very good offers,” Williams admitted. “I spoke to people at both clubs, and honestly, it was tempting. But there’s one person at Arsenal I couldn’t turn my back on.”
While Nico didn’t keep fans guessing for long, he went on to reveal the name of the player who swayed his decision.
“That person is Bukayo Saka,” he confirmed with a smile. “We’ve been close for years since we met during international youth tournaments, and the bond just grew stronger from there. I didn’t want anything that would jeopardize our friendship. I spoke to him a lot about life at Arsenal, the team, Mikel Arteta’s vision — and his words meant everything to me.”
Williams also admitted the decision wasn’t easy, given the prestige of the other clubs chasing his signature.
“I hope I won’t regret my decision later,” he confessed. “Because those other teams are huge, but in the end, loyalty and friendship matter a lot to me. I feel like I’ll be at home here with Bukayo and the rest of the team.”
The Spanish international’s arrival has already sparked excitement among Arsenal supporters, with many eager to see how his partnership with Saka on the flanks could develop in the Premier League next season.
Manager Mikel Arteta also weighed in on the signing: “Nico is a player we’ve admired for a long time. His qualities suit our style perfectly, and having someone like Bukayo here to help integrate him makes this even more special.”
With Liverpool and Barcelona left empty-handed, Arsenal fans will be hoping that this friendship on and off the pitch delivers big moments in the seasons to come.