FC Barcelona misses out on Nico Williams. After weeks of speculation and negotiations, the signing of the winger has finally been ruled out. Although his arrival excited the sporting management and fit into Hansi Flick's project, the club hasn't managed to close the deal.
Barça's sporting management had been working for weeks to finalize the signing of the Spanish international. Nico has prioritized the home option. The agreement is official and Barça is preparing to look for alternatives.
Rashford doesn't disappear
Despite not signing Nico Williams, Barça isn't completely closing the door on Marcus Rashford, who keeps offering himself. The English player is keeping an eye on the market moves, waiting for a call from the Catalan side.
Rashford, who isn't going through his best sporting moment, is still a footballer with great talent and room to recover his best form. Barça is aware of this and, although right now it's not a priority, they don't rule out considering his addition if the financial conditions were favorable.
Aston Villa's farewell and the return to Manchester
Aston Villa has officially confirmed Marcus Rashford's departure after a six-month loan. The English striker won't continue in Birmingham after the club decided not to exercise the €40 million ($40 million) purchase option that it had agreed with Manchester United. In a brief statement, the Villans thanked the player for his professionalism during his stay, but made it clear that he isn't part of their future plans.
With this move, Rashford returns to Manchester United, his youth club, but his continuity there seems more than unlikely. His performance has fallen short of expectations and the Red Devils' management has already communicated that they will look to move him on this summer. Meanwhile, the player wants a new challenge and knows he needs a change of scenery to relaunch his career.
Meanwhile, PSG was also interested in acquiring Rashford's services. But the English winger prioritizes the Catalan project.
Manchester United wants to sell and Barça waits
Manchester United is clear that Marcus Rashford isn't part of its plans. For this reason, the English club is determined to sell him in this summer market. However, the €40 million ($40 million) it asked from Aston Villa now seems unrealistic, especially after the lack of interest shown by other clubs.
Thus, everything indicates that over the summer they will have to considerably lower their expectations if they want to finalize his departure. This scenario could open a window of opportunity for Barça. If Rashford's price drops to affordable levels, the Catalan club could seriously consider signing him.