Ashley Williams admits he is flattered to be linked with Arsenal.
Aside from young striker Yaya Sanogo, Arsene Wenger has yet to add to his squad during the summer. With the deadline looking on 2 September, the French coach is under increasing pressure to spend, especially as it is widely believed that the Emirates Stadium club have well over £100million available in their coffers.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for Williams, as they look for some leadership quality in the heart of their back four. The Wales international has been hugely impressive since signing for Swansea City in 2008, and last season he led them to glory in the League Cup as well as helping them to a top-ten Premier League finish.
Michael Laudrup would be reluctant to let the 28-year-old leave, but is realistic enough to accept that a sizeable bid would be difficult to refuse. And as rumours resurface of interest from Wenger, Williams admits he is flattered to be linked with the Londoners, whilst he has also revealed his ambition to play at the highest level in Europe.
“It’s very flattering but you take it with a pinch of salt because you see a lot written and you never know what to make of it,” he told the Daily Mirror. “I just take it as a compliment. You must be doing something right, whether it’s true or not.
All players with any ambition want to see how high they can get. If I sat here and said I didn’t want to play in the Champions League, that’d be a lie. But I’d never disrespect a team I play for and say, ‘that’s it, I’m desperate to leave’, just after a story in the paper. I’d never do that or think that. As professionals, you want to see how far you can go in your career, and competing for titles is where everyone wants to be.”
