Barcelona suffered a major blow when their primary transfer target Nico Williams opted to sign a 10-year contract extension with Athletic Bilbao.
The 22-year-old was rumoured to be on the brink of a switch to Barcelona to join his national team friends Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Alejandro Balde in Catalonia.
However, the transfer negotiations became complicated after his agent demanded a registration guarantee from Barcelona, following the Dani Olmo debacle in 2024/25. The process was then paused and Williams made the call to sign the extension with his current team.
That setback means Barcelona are now left with limited options in the market, but will look for an alternative, despite having Ballon d’Or contender Raphinha currently in place.
The club have already initiated talks with Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, and there’s a possibility of reconsidering an offer for the Colombian, with Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford also being discussed internally.
As per reports via SPORT, these are the only names being discussed by the club management, with sporting director Deco advocating for Diaz.
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Deco reportedly wanted Diaz over Williams, but it was a difficult transfer to complete given Liverpool’s stance on the former Porto star, and the expectation of all transfer talks being pushed back following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.
Liverpool have previously rejected the advances of Bayern Munich on Diaz and their current position is unknown.
That could see the focus shift to Rashford, who has been told to find a new club after his return to Old Trafford. The England international wants to move to Barcelona and Hansi Flick rates him very highly.
There are other options on the horizon, with Malick Fofana tipped to leave Lyon this summer, and Atalanta star Ademola Lookman could be a viable option for his versatility and efficiency in front of goal.
Rashford’s low asking fee makes him tempting for Barcelona
At this point, Rashford feels like the most likely option. The 27-year-old showed great signs of revival in his brief loan stint at Aston Villa and would like to replicate that for Barcelona if a move materialises.
According to reports, he’s sent his brother to Barcelona to make things clear that he only wants to wear their shirt.
Manchester United remain focused on offloading the 27-year-old after he was stripped off the No.10, which was handed to new signing Matheus Cunha.
The Red Devils have set an asking fee in the region of £40m [$55m], but here’s also a possibility of him moving on loan, with an option to buy.
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