The LaLiga champions remain in talks with Athletic Bilbao for the Spanish winger, who has a £50m release clause.
Williams has been strongly linked with Arsenal but it is Barcelona who are in pole position to sign the 22-year-old, with the Spaniard believed to have made it clear to Bilbao that he wants to make that move this summer.
However, although Williams remains the transfer priority for Barcelona, The Times report that the Spanish giants are still looking to bring in Rashford on loan.
The 27-year-old appears to have no future at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, having been frozen out last season before spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Aston Villa.
Barcelona could soon have Williams and Raphinha as left-wing options, but Hansi Flick is said to still want to bring Rashford to the club.
The Englishman’s versatility appeals to the Barcelona boss, who views Rashford as a player to strengthen his squad both out wide and up front, providing competition for Robert Lewandowski.
However, Barcelona would be looking for a loan move, whereas United want to sell Rashford permanently for a fee of around £40m.
His wages of around £325,000-a-week have limited the number of clubs interested this summer and could force United to consider a loan departure instead.
If United could get Rashford’s wages off the books, it would save the club £17m a year.
In a recent interview with Spanish YouTuber Javi Ruiz, Rashford made it clear that wants to join Barcelona.
Asked if he would like to play with Lamine Yamal, he replied: “Yes, for sure. Everyone wants to play with the best. Hopefully … we’ll see.”
Out-of-favour United winger Jadon Sancho has reportedly given the green light to a move to Fenerbahce.
The Briton is looking for a new club after a fraught four-year stay at Old Trafford, during which he suffered a public and acrimonious falling out with former manager Erik ten Hag.
Jadon Sancho won a Conference League medal last season while on loan with Chelsea.
He spent last season on loan at Chelsea and hoped to make the move permanent, but talks broke down as the player was unwilling to waver from his lofty wages.
Napoli had shown an interest in taking him on, providing the chance for him to reunite with former United teammate Scott McTominay, but also found his wages to be a stumbling block.
Sancho could now be set for a move to Turkey, though, having reportedly agreed personal terms with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
The 28-time Turkish champions are in the market for a new winger after former Newcastle man Allan Saint-Maximin returned to Al-Ahli following an uninspiring loan spell.
Turkish outlet Sabah claim the agreed contract is worth £8.5million per year, or roughly £163,000 per week.
Fenerbahce have now turned their attention to negotiating with United, lodging a £15m bid, slightly shy of United’s reported £17m asking price.
Sancho showed flashes of his undeniable talent at Chelsea last season but struggled in front of goal throughout his loan spell, tallying five goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances. He scored the Blues’ fourth in the Conference League final win over Real Betis.
He has now returned to United’s Carrington training ground, but is set to miss out on the club’s preseason tour of the United States should he fail to find a move before they fly out.