Difficult Liverpool sees Barcelona abandon Diaz deal and move for Rashford

After a period of reflection following the surprising contract renewal of Nico Williams at Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona appears to have swiftly pinpointed their new top target for the left-wing position, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.

The Catalan giants have reportedly gone "all-in" for the England international, recognizing that their pursuit of Liverpool's Luis Díaz is unlikely to materialise.

The bombshell news of Nico Williams' eight-year contract extension with Athletic Bilbao until 2035, confirmed on July 4th with a release clause now exceeding €95 million, forced Barcelona to recalibrate their transfer strategy.

Simultaneously, sources indicate that Liverpool has maintained a firm stance on Luis Díaz, rejecting offers from both Barcelona and Bayern Munich and valuing the Colombian winger at around €70-80 million, a figure seemingly out of reach for the financially constrained Blaugrana.

This double setback has paved the way for Marcus Rashford to emerge as Barcelona's new priority in the transfer market.

A deal for Rashford is perceived as significantly simpler to conclude, largely due to Manchester United's apparent desperation to offload the player and Rashford's strong desire to move to Camp Nou.

Reports from the UK and Spain suggest that Rashford's career at Old Trafford under new manager Ruben Amorim looks increasingly over.

He was notably excluded from last season's Manchester derby squad, and his iconic number 10 shirt has recently been handed to new United signing Matheus Cunha.

Furthermore, manager Ruben Amorim has reportedly made it clear he does not wish to have Rashford around for pre-season, citing "potential injury concerns," a move widely interpreted as an attempt to facilitate his exit.

Barcelona's current plan is to secure a season-long loan deal for Rashford, with an option to make the transfer permanent next summer. While Manchester United would ideally prefer a permanent transfer to fully sever ties, it is understood they are not expected to put up excessive resistance, given Amorim's clear desire for Rashford to depart.

This suggests Barcelona is likely to get the deal structure they prefer.

With manager Hansi Flick eager to integrate his new left winger into the squad during the early stages of pre-season, a swift resolution to this high-profile transfer saga is anticipated.

All eyes will now be on Camp Nou as Barcelona pushes to bring the talented yet unsettled English forward to La Liga.