SHEER WILL Chelsea and Arsenal scouting Athletic Bilbao star with Blues fans convinced ‘this will be the end of Mudryk or Sterling’

ARSENAL and Chelsea have sent scouts to watch Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams amid an impressive season.

Posted Monday, February 12, 2024 by Thesun.co.uk

Williams, 21, is shining bright for Bilbao this season with five goals and 10 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions.

Arsenal and Chelsea have sent scouts to watch Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams

Chelsea fans believe Williams would be an upgrade compared to Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk

According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners and the Blues have sent representatives "multiple times" in the Basque Country to follow the Spain international's progress.

However, there is nothing advanced between the player and any of the Premier League rivals at this stage.

The transfer race is "completely open" meaning more suitors could swoop in for Williams and create competition for Arsenal as well as Chelsea.

Romano told CaughtOffside: "Arsenal have also sent their scouts to follow Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao multiple times, and it's the same for Chelsea as they included him in the list last summer.

"The race is completely open, and nothing is advanced with either club so far.

"He'd be great in the Premier League in my opinion – a physical and technical player; very good one."

Chelsea fans urged owner Todd Boehly and manager Mauricio Pochettino to move quickly for Williams' signature.

In fact, a section of the West Londoners' faithful see the Spaniard as a massive upgrade to Raheem Sterling and £97m struggling star Mykhailo Mudryk.

One fan tweeted: "He will most probably replace Sterling, which is an instant upgrade."

Another commented: "Great player, but would definitely be the end for Mudryk yeah, they either trust him or they go and get Nico and try to move Mudryk on.

"Interested to see if they put the trust in Mudryk's development or not."

A third posted: "Bring him in. Finally we get someone that runs with purpose."

This fan said: "Sign him up."

And that one wrote: "We have to get him."