Arsenal and Chelsea-linked Nico Williams is reported to be demanding a salary of over £400,000-per-week in order to be tempted to the Premier League.
The 22-year-old is recognized as one of the top young wingers in global football, and his release clause of €60 million (£51 million) is considered a tremendous deal on its own. However, the challenge has always been the ability to meet Williams’ salary expectations.
Due to Athletic’s unique recruitment policy, which limits them to signing players only from the Basque region, the club is willing to offer substantial salaries to retain their top players. Williams is reportedly already earning upwards of £200,000 per week.
To ensure his salary doesn’t decrease, The Mail reports that Williams’ agents are demanding a weekly salary exceeding £400,000 to entertain the idea of transferring to England, where tax laws would reduce his net earnings to a level similar to his current pay.
Such a figure is incomprehensible for Chelsea, whose entire model revolves around offering incentivised contracts with lower base salaries and the potential to increase earnings through performance-related bonuses.
Arsenal, meanwhile, already have an expensive squad and adding such a sizeable salary would not only raise the risk of breaching financial regulations, but it could also have a negative impact on a dressing room at a time in which the club are negotiating contract extensions with Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Financial concerns have also brought an end to Barcelona’s pursuit of Williams, with La Liga’s leaders believing there are better ways to spend their limited funds this summer.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Williams had warned his suitors that he wants to reach a final decision on his future by July 15 in order to give him a full pre-season with whichever club he ends up representing.
Committing to a deal of this size so early in the summer is highly unlikely for any of the sides interested in Williams, with the chances of remaining at Athletic only increasing.
