The contrasting situations of Rashford and Williams

Barcelona failed to sign Nico Williams.

The story of the contrasting form between Nico Williams and Marcus Rashford is becoming the center of attention. From Williams' decision to stay at Athletic Club and then his decline to Rashford's explosion under coach Hansi Flick, this is a scenario full of surprises that few people could have predicted.

Nico Williams is 'missing'

On the morning of November 6, Athletic Bilbao lost 0-2 to Newcastle in the fourth round of the Champions League qualifying round, thereby extending their disappointing streak. Bilbao lost all three of their most recent matches. They have won only two of their last 14 matches in all competitions.

Against Newcastle, Nico Williams did not play due to injury. But even if this young talent, once sought after by Barcelona, had played, Bilbao would not have played better.

With only 1 goal scored since the start of the season, Nico had a terrible start to the 2025/26 season. He played poorly, lacked inspiration and struggled with injuries.

Nico seems to have paid the price for his decision to stay at Athletic Club. Athletic Club itself has not improved since retaining the player. On the contrary, they have performed extremely poorly in La Liga, finishing 11th. In the Champions League, the loss to Newcastle has left Bilbao in 27th place with only 3 points after 4 matches.

This reality has seen Williams' value plummet, and his €90m release clause become out of reach for European clubs, even though he was once considered a top target for Barca.

Previously, in the summer of 2025, the Catalan club offered Williams an important role in coach Flick's squad, but the deal fell through. Sporting director Deco frankly stated: "No player can impose conditions on us" - showing that the conflict in negotiations pushed Williams away from Camp Nou.

Now, Deco and his colleagues can feel lucky because instead of spending money on an expensive deal named Nico Williams, they succeeded in borrowing Marcus Rashford at a cheap price.

Rashford - wise decision

In the early morning of November 6, although Barcelona faced many difficulties in the 3-3 draw against host Club Brugge in the Champions League qualifying round, Rashford still had an impressive match.

Marcus Rashford's brilliance at Barcelona has seen him attract attention.

Despite not scoring, Rashford is a bright spot in Barca's attack. In 14 appearances since the beginning of the season, the English striker has scored 5 goals and had 7 assists, becoming one of coach Flick's best players.

Barcelona plan to keep Rashford, with a buyout fee of around 35 million euros. The club is ready to offer the English striker a contract until 2030, with a 1-2 year extension clause, but with a lower basic salary than the current one.

Instead of paying a huge salary to Williams, who is struggling to find form, Barca are making Rashford a bargain. Rashford's revival not only helps the Spanish football giant strengthen its attack but also shows the unpredictability of transfers.

The Rashford deal in the summer of 2025 has clearly paid off for Barca, and with Nico Williams now in decline, Barca should probably feel lucky to have been turned down.

Source: https://znews.vn/tinh-canh-trai-ngoc-cua-rashford-va-williams-post1600261.html