Ansu Fati was for long considered the crown jewel of La Masia. The winger was the first of many young academy talents to break into the first team in recent years and instantly gave off a strong image of a player made to stay for decades.
Unsurprisingly, Fati’s future has never been in doubt, and a transfer away from Camp Nou has never been in consideration. Until now.
The youngster’s mediocre start to the 2022/23 season and clear dip in level are creating doubts about his long-term continuity for the first time.
According to reports from SPORT, Manchester United are interested in the Barcelona prodigy’s signing if the La Liga leaders open the exit doors. The English club would make it a priority to sign him in the summer window if the conditions are amicable.
Though he started off on an explosive note, Fati has had a rough chapter at Barcelona so far. Injuries have not been kind to him and having to go under the knife multiple times did not help his situation.
Xavi Hernandez believes in the player and his ability to come around stronger with regular minutes under his belt. However, the Catalans might be tempted to consider his sale owing to their dire economic situation and desperate need to generate revenue.
Furthermore, the report also suggests that Fati and his camp might get frustrated with his lack of game-time, considering that he is currently behind Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, and Raphinha in the pecking order.
The recent shift in formation and tactics has seen even Gavi move ahead of Fati in the order of preference.
The 20-year-old has taken part in all 19 of Barcelona’s La Liga games this season, albeit started only on seven occasions. In that duration, he has scored three goals and provided three assists in addition to an average of 0.5 key passes per game.
Fati signed a new contract with Barcelona in 2021, committing his future to the club until the summer of 2027. The Blaugrana included a €1 billion release clause as part of the new deal.
As of now, the Catalans do not see his exit as a real possibility. Yet, given the volatility of the football world, it would not need much time for that stance to change.