‘Barcelona to turn to Rashford after Williams blow in major Man United boost’
Man United could soon be boosted by Barcelona doing a deal to sign Marcus Rashford after they received a huge blow in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams.
Rashford spent the second-half of last season on loan at Aston Villa after a fallout with United boss Ruben Amorim led him to depart Old Trafford for the first time in his career.
He impressed in his short stint at Villa Park, with four goals and six assists in 17 appearances in all competitions, but looks to have no long-term United future despite their struggles under Amorim.
Football Insider have previously revealed that Tottenham are plotting a move to sign Rashford this summer, but Barcelona have previously led the chase for the Red Devils man’s signature following their La Liga title triumph, and new revelations around their desire to sign Williams could mean he becomes a priority soon.
Nico Williams’ new contract could see Barcelona turn to Rashford
Despite Rashford being on their radar, Barcelona made Bilbao and Spain star Williams their main forward priority this summer, with The Athletic reporting on 19 June that they had reached a verbal agreement with him over personal terms and considered his €60million (£50m) release clause as reachable.
Even though a move seemed close, Athletic announced on Friday (4 July) that the 22-year-old had instead signed a new 10-year deal with his boyhood club, with a statement saying: “Nico Williams renews with Athletic Club until 2035. The red-and-white winger commits to the club of his heart for the next ten seasons, and his release clause increases by more than 50%.”
Barcelona and Williams were in advanced negotiations over a potential transfer, according to The Athletic, and the Catalan club had the money ready to pay his release clause, but the 22-year-old’s camp wanted to insert an exit clause, in case Barca were not able to register him, into the deal.
The move broke down, and his new deal all but ends Barca’s pursuit of the Spain international for this summer and likely a good few years to come, so it makes sense for them to turn to Rashford now as their go-to signing on the left-wing.
Football Insider revealed on 4 June that Rashford would prefer to join Barcelona over any other club this summer, and so personal terms and anything on his side should not be an issue for the Catalan giants to sort out.
As well as that, Football Insider exclusively revealed on 1 July that Man United are expecting low offers for Rashford as moving him on has become increasingly difficult, and so he could be available for a cut-price fee, which would surely also be a big draw for Barca.
Rashford is still a top player too, as shown by his time at Villa, and so with a new culture and surroundings to take in, away from the pressures of English football, he could really thrive in Spain, and especially in a team that will arguably be the best one he has ever played in throughout his career so far.
Rashford would benefit from a move abroad amid his United woes
The last few years of Rashford’s career have certainly not gone to plan, but his spell at Villa saw him back playing near his best at times in a much more settled and less pressure-driven environment compared to that of United.
There looks to be no way back for him at Old Trafford, and Football Insider have previously revealed that club chiefs would be open to letting him leave on loan if a suitable bid does not come their way, while The Athletic have also reported that Rashford is also open to leaving as part of a swap deal if suitable opportunities arise.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 41 | 11 | 9 |
The 27-year-old is also believed to favour a move to a team that is competing for titles, so Barca would be a seemingly perfect fit, and he needs a stellar season to thrust himself back into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The 27-year-old would undoubtedly benefit from a change of scenery and culture, and the chance to compete for the top prizes is also something that he has not had in a long time, if ever, at Old Trafford.