“From here on, I don’t care what Inaki Williams might say” - Barcelona signing better than Nico Williams, claims former club president

Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart has claimed that the Catalan giants have signed a better player than Nico Williams in the form of Marcus Rashford. The Blaugrana looked close to landing Nico Williams this summer but could not complete a deal under dramatic circumstances.

Barcelona's move for Nico Williams fell through at the eleventh hour due to a dispute regarding his release clause and LaLiga registration. Athletic Bilbao reportedly lodged a complaint to LaLiga regarding Barca's financial situation and made them pull out of the transfer.

Nico Williams ended up signing a huge 10-year extension at Estadio de San Mames until 2035. Meanwhile, the Catalan giants ended up signing Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United with an option to make the deal permanent for €30 million.

Joan Gaspart, who served as Barcelona president between 2000 and 2003, has opened up on Rashford's arrival on loan. He has claimed that the Catalan giants have signed a better player in Rashford than Nico Williams.

Gaspart has also hit out at Athletic Bilbao and Nico Williams' elder brother Inaki Williams. Gaspart said, as quoted by The Mirror:

"First of all, for me, Marcus Rashford is better than Nico. From here on, I don’t care what Inaki [Williams, Nico's brother] might say. The player has used us in a good way – he’s gotten a good contract, and I’m happy for him."

He added:

"I don’t understand Athletic’s anger. I’ve signed many players from Bilbao, and always got along with their president. This is in the past. We have to focus on the season and trust the squad and the exceptional coach we have."

Marcus Rashford fell out of favor at Manchester United after establishing himself as one of the best players to come through their youth ranks. He made 426 appearances for the Red Devils scoring 138 goals and producing 77 assists.

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Barcelona unwilling to let star leave despite interest from PL: Reports

Barcelona reportedly have no interest in parting ways with Gerard Martin despite interest from the Premier League. As reported by SPORT, Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers are both keen on the 23-year-old defender.

However, the report claims that the Blaugrana are unwilling to let the Spanish left-back go. Martin made his senior debut for Barcelona last season, having played for the club's B team in 2023-24.

Martin made 42 appearances for the Catalan giants last season, scoring once and providing six assists. The defender's registration in LaLiga for the upcoming season is pending and he is no longer eligible to play for the reserve team.