Barcelona winger Ansu Fati has accepted his Barcelona career is over, with chances becoming limited at the Catalan club this season.
The 22-year-old has become frustrated at the lack of opportunities that have been available to him this season. Fati has been limited to eight appearances in this campaign, totalling less than 200 minutes and has failed to register a goal contribution for the club.
Hansi Flick’s side has been immense this season and leads at the top by four points, with Real Madrid trailing behind them after 30 games. A treble is very much a possibility for the Catalans, with an El Clásico final set up in the Copa del Rey and a Champions League run still ongoing.
All that has come amidst uncertainty surrounding players’ futures following persistent financial rulings involving Barcelona. The club have been boosted by the knowledge that last summer’s marquee signing Dani Olmo can remain registered despite a reduced salary cap imposed on them by La Liga.
Barcelona aim to knock high earners off the books
They may have been allowed to keep Dani Olmo registered for the remainder of this season, but uncertainty could still follow them into the next. Not only would they wish to keep players such as Olmo on the books at the Nou Camp, but they will likely seek reinforcements in the summer transfer window.
Fati is reportedly one of the highest earners in Hansi Flick’s side, behind Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong. They are two key figures in the team and leave Fati as the player to sell in the summer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the 10-time capped Spain international is open to leaving the club, as he accepts that his time with his boyhood club seems to have come to an end. Several clubs in Europe enquired about the availability of Fati in the winter window before the winger decided to remain at the club.
Troubled times for Barcelona star who had the world at his feet
When he burst onto the scene for Barcelona, Ansu Fati seemed to have the world at his feet. His displays captivated many, and he looked to be the next big thing to emerge from the academy of the Spanish giants. Sadly, the old cliche of football injuries holding a player back once again came true for the Spaniard, with a knee injury seeing much of his pace and confidence in front of goal slip away from him.
With a loan move to Brighton & Hove Albion, giving some hope of the winger returning to the player he once was, that was cut short as injury problems returned. Injuries meant he featured in 25 games for the Seagulls, impacting the scoring charts just four times. This meant he returned to Spain in the same form he left.
There is light at the end with reports that there are already offers on the table for the upcoming summer transfer window. Clubs such as Dortmund, Ajax and Porto were among those enquiring in the winter. Whether those are any of the offers remains to be seen. Assuming his Barcelona career is over would be a safe bet, given the form of others at the club. Raphinha has been one of the most exciting players this season and leads the Champions League scoring charts, while teenager Lamine Yamal is on a similar trajectory as Fati once was.