The north London giants are strong admirers of the 22-year-old, who scored eight goals and provided 19 assists for Bilbao last season.

Williams was also brilliant for Spain at the European Championship. He is now widely expected to pursue a bigger challenge at club level.

TNAT now claim that Barcelona are leading the pursuit of the winger, but they are not in a position to trigger his €58m release clause.

The club are trying to negotiate a long-term payment plan with Bilbao, but the Basque outfit are adamant that they won't discuss with them.

Should their stance continue in the coming weeks, there is a high possibility that Barcelona could focus elsewhere to bolster their attack.

Arsenal are closely monitoring the player's situation. They are willing to pay a significant amount up front to persuade Bilbao to sell.

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