Barcelona closing in on third winger of the summer – and it’s still not Rashford

Barcelona’s summer spending spree shows no signs of slowing down. After wrapping up an €80 million deal for Anthony Gordon and agreeing a €29 million move for Karim Adeyemi, the Catalan giants are now pushing to add a third wide player to their ranks. The latest target is Club Brugge teenager Bisiwu. According to insider and Spanish outlets, Barcelona had an opening bid worth around €9 million rejected by the Belgian club, but they are expected to return with an improved offer. The 18-year-old has already given the green light to the transfer, though the plan would see him initially join Barca Atletic rather than the first team, given the competition for places after the arrivals of Gordon and Adeyemi. Brugge are likely to demand a significant sell-on clause as part of any deal, with Bisiwu having only one year left on his contract. Optimism remains that an agreement can be reached. What makes this pursuit stand out, however, is who still isn’t in the picture: Marcus Rashford. The Manchester United forward was widely expected to join Barcelona this summer – he was even willing to take a major pay cut to make his “dream” move happen. But the Blaugrana never managed to drive down his price and eventually walked away from negotiations. Now, with three wingers either signed or close to signing, Rashford appears to be the one that got away. Barcelona’s return to LaLiga’s 1:1 financial rule has given them the freedom to reinvest every euro they earn, and they are making the most of it. Still, the club continues to look for cost-cutting measures elsewhere to balance the books. Up front, more business could be on the way. Barcelona are planning a new bid for Atletico Madrid striker Julián Álvarez, and even if that deal goes through, they could still go for another No.9. According to Sport, Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani and free agent Dusan Vlahovic are among the options being considered, with a potential sale of one of their own players helping to finance those moves. For now, though, the story of Barcelona’s summer remains the same: big moves everywhere – just not the one featuring Marcus Rashford.