Euro giants choose Spanish wizard over United star desperate for move, now he has a big problem – Fabrizio Romano

Marcus Rashford’s “dream” move to Barcelona is in peril of falling apart as the Spanish giant plans to “activate” fellow left-winger Nico Williams’ release clause.

Manchester United are keen to sell Rashford, 27, this summer after a public dispute with Ruben Amorim in December led the forward to joining Aston Villa on loan in the winter window.

A £40 million buy option was included in the deal but the Villans’ decided against activating this, despite Rashford’s impressive performances under Unai Emery. As a result, Rashford will now return to United but there is acceptance from the player he has no future at his boyhood club under Amorim.

Similarly, his wage packet – believed to be worth in excess of £300,000 a week – is also a major burden for INEOS, who are adamant about bringing down costs at Old Trafford, and another reason why United want to agree a permanent departure for the club’s highest earner.

Rashford is believed to view a move to Camp Nou as his first-choice option with Barcelona having expressed interest in signing him in January on loan, only for a deal to prove too costly.

Sporting director Deco has publicly revealed interest in revisiting a move for the England international while the Blaugrana were also considering targeting Liverpool winger Luis Diaz.

But both of these options were cheaper alternative to Barcelona’s long-standing number one target – Athletic club and Spain’s EURO 2024 winning winger, Nico Williams.

And now, as Fabrizio Romano reveals, Barcelona are prepared to “activate the Nico Williams deal option after getting [the] player’s total priority” over a move to Catalan.

Barcelona have decided to activate the Nico Williams deal option after getting player’s total priority.

Barça will need more rounds of talks with his agent as they’d need to discuss terms of €58m release clause with Athletic.

Not advanced yet; but Barça are now trying. pic.twitter.com/Y8YBmPVmUE

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 16, 2025

Tweet: “Barcelona have decided to activate the Nico Williams deal option after getting player’s total priority. Barça will need more rounds of talks with his agent as they’d need to discuss terms of €58m release clause with Athletic. Not advanced yet; but Barça are now trying.”

United are long-term admirers of the 22-year-old winger, who faced the Red Devils in the semi-final of the Europa League for Athletic, but the shift towards Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system has negated the need for a player of his profile.

The Red Devils are banking on sales this summer to finance the comprehensive overhaul of the first-team squad with the initial budget drained by moves for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Shifting Rashford – an academy player whose sale would constitute ‘pure profit’ from a PSR perspective – would have massively boosted the club’s finances, even if the £40 million asking price was not met as removing his salary from the wage bill at Old Trafford would have saved more than £15 million next season alone.

Barcelona were one of the strongest options to sign Rashford, given the mutual admiration between the two parties, but a €58 million deal for one of Europe’s best young left-wingers will leave the La Liga champions with no need for an older, inferior version of the same player.

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