Barcelona have been linked with a number of wingers this summer, and Nico Williams now appears to be back in the frame for a potential move to Catalonia. Their priority appears to be Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, but Marcus Rashford is also in their thinking.
That said all three of them present obstacles for the Blaugrana. Most of those are financial, and over the past year, both President Joan Laporta and Director of Football Deco have remarked on the importance of a player wanting to come to Barcelona. What that means in reality is sacrifices.
Salary demands for Diaz, Rashford and Williams
One of the demands that Barcelona have made of their top trio of options is that they accept salaries below what they could earn elsewhere, say MD. Rashford has already made it clear that he is willing to take a major wage cut to join the club. Diaz’s wages are not espected to be an issue, as he ‘only’ earns €3.5m per annum currently, while Williams must take a pay cut compared to what he could earn elsewhere, with some suggestion he already has higher offers on the table.
Negotiations with Liverpool, Manchester United and Athletic Club
The other factor to take into account is potential transfer fees. Diaz remains Barcelona’s top choice, but they are not willing to reach the €80-85m asking price set by Liverpool. After depositing the money for Joan Garcia’s release clause, Barcelona cannot afford to do the same for Williams, who with taxes would cost €62m in one payment. He is the second choice.
Barcelona will not spend more than €60m on Luis Díaz. @sport
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) June 16, 2025
Meanwhile Barcelona would prefer a loan deal with an option to buy for Rashford, while United are keen for a permanent sale of €40-45m. Barcelona have asked all three to be active parts in a deal with Barcelona, and negotiate with their own clubs to facilitate a lower fee in Diaz’s case, a more feasible payment plan in Williams’ case, and a different deal structure in Rashford’s instance.
Perhaps the players could pay Barca for the honour of playing for such a prestigious and glorious team. We could even arrange a jumble sale to raise funds for the Barca recruitment drive for next season 😂