Aston Villa may have got a boost in their pursuit of Manchester United star after the recent transfer development.
It was reported on Thursday that Nico Williams has agreed personal terms with Barcelona ahead of a move this summer.
The Spanish giants have been eyeing a new winger and have been linked with Williams for quite some time.
Barcelona have also been linked with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford since last January, who eventually joined Aston Villa on loan instead.
Marcus Rashford in action for Aston Villa
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
Marcus Rashford may now sign for Aston Villa as Barcelona agree terms with Nico Williams
With Barcelona signing Williams, they may no longer pursue Rashford, which will be a blow for the player, with previous reports claiming that Rashford wanted to join Barcelona.
Aston Villa have shown interest in signing the 27-year-old on a permanent move following a decent loan spell.
TBR Football reported that while talks have not yet taken place, both club and player were happy with the situation and that Villa are expected to start talks with Rashford over a potential transfer.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could also potentially play a part in helping the club sign Rashford.
The World Cup winner is set to leave Villa this summer, with reports suggesting that Martinez has even offered himself to Manchester United, with a £40m deal possible.
Rashford is also valued around £40m, which means a potential swap deal could be on the cards.
Marcus Rashford’s impressive loan spell at Aston Villa
Marcus Rashford had a falling out with Rúben Amorim, who dropped him from the Man United squad due to disciplinary reasons.
He was notably left out of the matchday squad for the Manchester derby in December 2024 and didn’t feature for Manchester United again thereafter.
In January, Rashford was linked with a loan exit and ultimately joined Aston Villa for the remainder of the season, a move that paid off immediately.
He made an impressive debut, providing an assist, and looked like a rejuvenated player under Unai Emery.
He had an impressive debut capped with an assist. He looked like a new player under Emery as he continued to dazzle with his performances, scoring four and assisting six in 17 games across all competitions.
Rashford will be keen on continuing his fine form and playing regularly, with the World Cup coming up next year and a move to Aston Villa could potentially be a great move for him.