It may have ended in the same way as the campaign prior, but Arsenal took another step forward last season.
Mikel Arteta's side pushed Manchester City to the final day of the Premier League and came painfully close to reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
However, while the North Londoners were spectacular at times, the fact they couldn't win a trophy is proof enough that they can get better, and considering they had the best defence in the league, that improvement should probably come in attack.
So, it's unsurprising that the latest star touted for a move to N5 is an incredibly exciting winger who's currently shining at the Euros and is a player that club captain Martin Odegaard would probably love to play with.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams and are now 'ready to pay' his €58m release clause, which converts to around £49m.
Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Chelsea are the other side 'advancing' with their interest in the Spanish international, despite previous reports suggesting otherwise.
Other teams credited with interest in the 21-year-old include Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but the money required to get the deal done has given them cause for pause.
It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but given how well he played last season and his performances this summer, it might be worth pursuing, especially as he could help Odegaard get even better.
Why Williams would be a brilliant teammate for Odegaard
Now, while Arsenal scored five goals fewer than City in the league last season, they were still a fairly potent attacking force as their haul of 91 was still comfortably second best.
However, there's always room to improve and make the frontline even more dynamic, which is where the "electric" Williams, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, comes in.
Described as a winger who loves "terrorising defences" by Mattinson, the 21-year-old sits in the top 6% of wingers and attacking midfielders for successful take-ons in Europe's top five leagues according to FBref, which highlights one of the main reasons he'd be a fantastic addition to Arteta's side: his directness.
Assists
0.44
Top 2%
Successful Take-Ons
3.42
Top 6%
Progressive Carries
5.69
Top 7%
Progressive Passes Received
12.01
Top 10%
Shot-Creating Actions
4.81
Top 20%
Touches in the Oppositions Penalty Area
5.89
Top 20%
This can also be seen in the fact that FBref has placed the Bilbao ace in the top 10% of wingers and attacking midfielders for progressive passes received, which means the number of times a player receives a forward pass in the final 60% of the pitch that either moves the ball ten yards forward or into the penalty area.
It essentially tracks a player's off-the-ball movement, ability to get into dangerous places, and importance to their side's attack, and when you combine that with his brilliant ability to get past players via take-ons, it's easy to see him getting on the end of a pinpoint pass from Odegaard and either setting up a goal or scoring himself.
The Gunners' Norwegian captain is in the top 1% of midfielders for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for progressive passes, and the top 3% for expected assists, per FBref.
With him in the middle, Bukayo Saka on the right, and the Pamplona-born dynamo to the left, Arsenal could become one of the best counter-attacking sides in Europe.
Moreover, while his underlying numbers are incredibly impressive, the left-footed phenom also has the raw output to back it up.
In 37 appearances last season, the 16-capped international racked up eight goals and 19 assists, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement every 1.37 games, and he's carried that form in the European Championships, winning the Player of the Match award against Italy last week.
Appearances
31
6
Goals
5
3
Assists
14
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.61
1.33
Ultimately, with his incredible underlying numbers, rapid pace, and impressive output, Williams would be an excellent signing for the North Londoners, and with Odegaard's brilliant passing behind him, he could reach a whole new level in England.
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