Bayern Munich Targets Two Premier League Stars After Nico Williams Rejection

Bayern Munich have reportedly identified Liverpool's Cody Gakpo and Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma as potential transfer targets following reports that Nico Williams prefers a move to Barcelona during the upcoming summer window.

Williams remained at Athletic Club after his impressive performances at Euro 2024 last summer, yet the Spanish winger continues to be regarded as one of the top talents in global football and has attracted numerous interested clubs since the end of the 2024-25 season.

However, Bayern, Arsenal and Chelsea have been left frustrated by his alleged preference, which is to sign with Barcelona provided the cash-strapped Catalans can manage to finance the transfer.

Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg reports that Bayern were "completely aware" of this situation, though they will stay prepared to make a move if Barcelona cannot finalize the deal due to financial constraints—their monetary issues persist and the Dani Olmo situation caused significant embarrassment for the club when his mid-season registration was denied.

However, Bayern are not exclusively depending on Williams and a potential Barcelona failure that might not occur, as they are also pursuing backup options. They continue discussions with Gakpo and Mitoma, along with Bradley Barcola, a Champions League champion with Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan's Rafael Leão—Sports Illustrated had previously disclosed the German club's interest in the Portuguese forward.

Bayern added Michael Olise from Crystal Palace during the previous summer, but the Bundesliga powerhouse has already released Leroy Sané, who transferred to Galatasaray, and are anticipated to also offload Kingsley Coman before the upcoming campaign begins.

There exists a possibility that Gakpo could see reduced playing time at Liverpool with Florian Wirtz joining the squad and the probability that Luis Díaz remains once Barcelona commits their financial resources to acquiring Williams.