Luis Diaz vs Marcus Rashford — Report compares top two Barcelona winger targets | OneFootball

FC Barcelona suffered a serious setback in the market as their preferred target for the left-wing position, Nico Williams, signed a renewal with Athletic Club, and thus brought an ignominious end to his links with the Catalan club.

With him now off their list, the Blaugranes still have some exciting options to reinforce their attack ahead of the next season.

As things stand, the Liverpool winger Luis Diaz and the Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford are now the two most likely candidates to strengthen the Barcelona attack.

Mundo Deportivo has made a comparison of the costs and benefits that these two players would provide, from sporting, economic, and personal aspects.

Economic Factors

Both of these players are willing to adjust their salaries to help the Blaugrana club get them registered, as they both desire to don the blue and garnet jersey. However, the Colombian star would require a greater fee, as he is an established member of the Liverpool starting eleven and is valued at €70 million on Transfermarkt.

On the other hand, Rashford is valued at €50 million, but he is not a part of Ruben Amorim’s plans for the next season, and thus, Manchester United would be willing to part ways with him for a significantly lower price.

Sporting Factors

Diaz is currently clearly the better of the two options sportingly, as he is playing at a high level and is a reliable forward for a big European side.

He can bring an instant impact at Barcelona and help improve the team’s attacking capabilities next season. His pressing and ability to help his fullback can also make him a preferred candidate for Hansi Flick.

On the other hand, the Englishman has been going through a notable slump for quite some time now. However, he can still turn things around going forward.

Both of these players are highly versatile and can play across the forward line, and have also proven their goalscoring skills over the years.

Personal Factors

Luis Diaz has made his way up from the bottom, through sheer hard work and dedication, making the journey from his home country of Colombia to Europe, and this story is similar to that of Raphinha.

However, he and his club are going through a difficult situation with the passing of his teammate Diogo Jota, and thus, he might believe this might not be the best time to leave, and Liverpool would also look not to further weaken their attacking line.

On the other hand, Rashford emerged as a promising star at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and thus had an easier path to the top. Thus, there always was the possibility of him becoming complacent, but to his credit, it is clear that he wants to redeem himself.

Thus, both these players offer some benefits and costs, and it remains to be seen on whom Barcelona makes the bet this summer.