Before the start of the summer break, Flick and sporting director Deco agreed that the team needed a new left winger to strengthen the squad's depth and strength.
Luis Díaz and Marcus Rashford were once considered highly attractive candidates, but shortly after, Barça reignited their pursuit of Williams.
What happened next is known to all: the 22-year-old chose to abandon the move to Barça and instead signed a new 10-year contract with Athletic Bilbao, leaving Deco to go back to square one.
Díaz remains the sporting director's top priority, but he is also the most complicated signing. Liverpool have so far shown no interest in negotiating his departure and rejected Barça's initial offer back in early June.
The Catalans plan to make another inquiry in the coming weeks, but this is not expected to happen anytime soon given the delicate situation following the tragic death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota in a car accident.
Barça believes Díaz is willing to push for the transfer, is happy to join, and will accept all the club's La Liga registration conditions. However, before that, they need to reach an agreement with Liverpool.
In addition, there is Rashford, who is behind Díaz on Barça's priority list. The English player is eager to join, and Manchester United are looking to sell him, giving Barça an advantage in negotiations.
Club sources say that the longer they wait, the more favorable the negotiations for Rashford will be for their plans—and the more clarity they will have on their wage budget when registering new players.
