Barcelona’s stance on a player with an £888 million (€1 billion) release clause appears to be softening. Arsenal could put their resolve to the test with a summer offer.
According to reports, Arsenal has received a massive boost in their pursuit of Barcelona’s Ansu Fati. The Arsenal are one of several clubs said to be interested in signing the Spain international.
Fati was once dubbed Barcelona’s heir to Lionel Messi’s throne. He burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old and immediately demonstrated his undeniable talent.
However, injury issues have severely limited his playing time in recent seasons. He only made 25 appearances in all competitions in his last two full seasons.
Fati is back in action and has already appeared 31 times this season. However, only nine of them have been starters, which is becoming a problem.
According to La Vanguardia, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in Fati. Bayern Munich is also mentioned, but their interest is said to be limited, while other reports in Germany claim the Bundesliga giants are not interested in the 20-year-old.
Arsenal benefits from Bayern dropping out of the running, giving them a clearer path to a possible deal. Second, according to La Vanguardia, Barcelona may have to sell a high-priced player this summer.
Fati has always been regarded as non-transferable, and the Nou Camp coaching staff still believes this. They may not, however, have a say in whether the forward stays or not.
Because of Barcelona’s financial situation, they must raise funds from somewhere. According to the report, they will look for off-field sources such as sponsors, but the reality is that the departure of a player like Fati will go a long way towards balancing the books.
Barcelona’s stance on a player with an £888 million (€1 billion) release clause appears to be softening. Arsenal could put their resolve to the test with a summer offer.
Fati is still said to want to be successful at Barcelona. However, his lack of playing time, as well as speculation about his future, are said to be affecting him emotionally.
According to the report, Fati’s representatives are open to moving their client elsewhere.
If he remains an impact player under Xavi, ‘anything can happen,’ according to reports. The Barca president recently spoke about Fati’s future and urged patience.
Xavi stated: “You must be patient with him; everything will work out for him. We have a lot of faith in him. He has a fantastic mentality and is an asset to the club. Patience, he needs time, and this is not the time to discuss sales.”