At one point Ansu Fati was considered the future of FC Barcelona. When he broke through in 2019, he seemed destined for superstardom. He was confident and productive.
Then came the injuries, which derailed a once-promising ascent to the summit. Instead of taking over the world for Barca and Spain, Fati was in the treatment room and then working his way back to full fitness.
With Fati expected to spend much of the season on the bench, Xavi and the Barca management team decided to send him on loan to Brighton in the Premier League.
The hope was that he would gain significant game time to improve his form and increase his value. So far he’s spent a lot of time on the bench at Brighton with the south coast team flying high under impressive manager Roberto De Zerbi.
He did find the back of the net at the weekend, and the hope is he can use that as a springboard for the rest of the season.
FC Barcelona decide Ansu Fati’s future
According to a report by SPORT (via Caught Offside), Xavi and the Barcelona management group have already decided that Fati’s future lies away from the Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s financial situation is still dire, and if they want to attract talent in other areas of the field they’ll need to create some income from player sales.
Xavi doesn’t see Fati as a big part of future plans, and thus that makes him expendable. The emergence of Lamine Yamal will also increase the pressure to move Fati.
Barcelona hope to bring Brazilian striker Vitor Roque to the club in January, and they have reported interest in players like Arthur Vermeeren and Gabriel Moscardo, but to bring in players like that, they’ll need to first sell some assets.
The hope now is that Fati will go on to have a fine season in the Premier League, increasing his value and potential suitors.