Club Brugge have reportedly warned Arsenal and other suitors that striker Nicolo Tresoldi is not for sale, while Athletic Club winger Nico Williams has publicly distanced himself from his agent's comments and confirmed he turned down the Gunners.
Brugge issue hands-off warning over Tresoldi
Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad has reported that the reigning Pro League champions have informed interested parties their player is not for sale. An unnamed Club Brugge board member is quoted as saying: "There is and will be no price for Nicolo."
The update follows suggestions that Arsenal were ready to return to the club for another piece of business in early 2027. The Gunners signed £34million winger Christos Tzolis from Brugge in the summer and saw superb returns from the Greek star prior to injury.
Arsenal were linked with a number of strikers in the summer but ended up hanging their hopes on Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres. Tresoldi, a 22-year-old Italy-born Germany under-21 international, scored 23 goals in 58 games across all competitions in his debut season at Brugge.
He is on track to blow that tally out of the water this term after netting 12 times in his first 14 outings. That has led to a surge of interest among Europe's top teams, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City just some of the parties also linked with his services.
Williams disputes agent's claim
Nico Williams has responded to claims from his agent suggesting he was responsible for keeping the winger in Bilbao. The World Cup winner has confirmed previous contact with Arsenal and his decision to turn down the Gunners.
Williams' representative, Felix Tainta, recently appeared on the Los Fulanos podcast and similarly confirmed interest from Arsenal, Barca, Liverpool and PSG in recent years. However, the player disagreed with Tainta's version of events that he required much convincing to remain in Bilbao.
"My brother was clear in what he said. It's difficult when your name gets caught up in things like this. Felix was wrong in the words he used; that's not how things happened. The final decision rests with me, my brother, and my family. What happens at home is something only we know," Williams said.
He continued: "I have never had any doubts about being here; I’ve had countless offers and could have left, but I’ve always been clear that I wanted to stay. My intention is to stay here; there’s no doubt about that. I told Barça, Arsenal, PSG and many others that I’m staying here. I hope people understand that. Despite the anger some people might have felt after his statements, nobody can say that I don’t want to be here. I made the decision."
"Nobody forced me. I had offers from Barca and other teams in Europe such as PSG or Arsenal, and I said no to all of them to be here. People can say whatever they want. As simple as that. I have nothing to worry about. And I hope people understand."
Williams signed a new 10-year contract with Athletic in July 2025, which came complete with an increased £77m release clause. Barcelona were alleged to be particularly interested in the 24-year-old after he won Euro 2024 with Spain.
