Nico Williams’ decision to pen a new contract at Athletic Club and snub a move to Barcelona has taken the club by surprise and left the Catalans thinking about alternatives.
Luis Diaz and Marcus Rashford are once again being linked with transfers to the club, but there’s no guarantee either player will arive this summer.
Deco has previously said Barcelona “must not fall into the tendency of signing players unnecessarily” and if he takes his own advice then Barca’s spending may be done already.
Hansi Flick could therefore turn his attentions to La Masia to find another left winger and he won’t lack for options.
Indeed Diario Sport are reporting that Dani Rodriguez and Jan Virgili could well be the main benficiaries of Williams’ decision to stay at Athletic Club.
Flick has already handed Rodriguez a debut for Barcelona and has been full of praise for the youngster. His shoulder injury has complicated matters but he’s likely to get a second chance once he’s fit again.
And in the meantime there’s Virgili waiting in the wings. The youngster had a brilliant summer with Spain’s Under-19s at the Euros and made it crystal clear he would love to be on the plane when Barca jet out to Asia for pre-season.
Should Barca trust in youth again this season rather than go for Diaz or Rashford?