Had the Athletic Bilbao-Arsenal clash come a few months earlier, Nico Williams’ performance would have been a major talking point.
But the fixture arrived when it did, and most Gooners could not help but agree on one thing, failing to sign Nico Williams was probably for the best.
This summer, Williams was tipped to finally take the leap and leave Athletic for one of Europe’s elite.
Arsenal, the winger’s long-time admirers, were thought to be battling Barcelona and Bayern Munich for his signature.
At one stage, Barcelona looked to have taken the lead in the race, but Arsenal remained in the wings, ready to pounce if the opportunity to land the Spaniard presented itself.
That chance never came. Williams chose to stay put, signing a 10-year deal with the San Mamés outfit that nearly doubled both his wages and his modest release clause.
For his suitors, watching him light up pre-season in red and white might have stung.
But luckily for them, his performances have been so underwhelming that no one is losing sleep over missing out.
Pre-season has not been kind to the Euro 2024 hero. He struggled against PSV and Liverpool, and when the time came to show Arsenal what they missed out on, he failed to show up.
Nico Williams stats against Arsenal
64 minutes
24 touches
13 passes
0 successful dribbles
0 shots
0 key passes
9x possession lost
25% duels won
If that was Arsenal’s final scouting window, it surely left them questioning whether Williams is the right profile to pursue.
Fortunately, they moved for Noni Madueke instead, a Premier League-proven winger whose 59 minutes in an Arsenal shirt have already shown promise.
If Madueke builds on those early signs, the idea of Arsenal ever chasing Williams again may not cross a single Gooner’s mind.
Hopefully, in Madueke Arsenal have secured their man, someone who will bring dynamism and directness to their game.
