Ansu Fati Transfer: Ansu Fati, hailed as the ‘New Lionel Messi’ of Barcelona after donning the no.10 jersey, has been seeing comparatively less playing time now. It seemed that his father, Bori Fati grew impatient on the matter and reacted quite angrily saying Fati could move elsewhere. However, as Barcelona face Elche on the weekend, coach Xavi has opened up and said that he doesn’t care what his father or his agent are saying. He cares about the player, has faith in him, and asked the youngster to be patient. Follow La Liga LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Fati started with Barcelona’s first team when he was only 16 and showed glimpses of his incredible talent. He then became La Liga’s youngest goalscorer in 2019 against Osasuna. Barcelona fans reveled in his talent at a time when Lionel Messi left the club and this La Masia kid was giving them new hopes. He was hailed as the ‘new Lionel Messi’ and was given the iconic no.10 jersey.
However, his progress hit a roadblock when the youngster suffered a succession of injuries. Now he has come back fully fit, but only glimpses of the past talent shown by Fati were visible. Fati has appeared in 40 matches this season where he netted 6 times and assisted 4 times. He has enough competition in the front in the form of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Ousmane Dembele. Hence, getting a lot of playing time could be tough, but his love for the club is immeasurable and he’s patient. However, his father had a different opinion.
Xavi: “I have a lot of faith in Ansu Fati. I want him to succeed here. He’s calm and focused. He’s training very well. I understand his father, but I don’t give it importance” 🔵🔴 #FCB
“Ansu is only 20 years old. You have to be patient. At Barça there is a lot of competition”. pic.twitter.com/Uxl990t0yy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 1, 2023
His father burst out saying “As a father I am angry, yes, like any father. Because seeing Ansu play so little makes you a little angry. I tell them that we deserve much more.” He added, “It bothers me that they give him a minute, two minutes or three minutes. The forwards that are there are phenomenal, but we are talking about Ansu Fati… He’s a boy who left La Masía… we’re talking about Barcelona’s ’10.'”
He wants his son to leave and join Sevilla or if the youngster wanted, then even Real Madrid. He said, “He [Jorge Mendes] told me was that Ansu wants to stay and will continue playing for Barcelona. But I, as a father, thought otherwise, and Ansu doesn’t agree with that.”
He added, “I think a lot about Sevilla, about going home. Right now I wouldn’t value an offer from Madrid, because Ansu wouldn’t accept it… But I will never speak ill of Madrid… You never know what the world is going to bring you… You never know where it is going to take you.”
Fati himself was blindsided by his father’s outburst and he could even release a statement reaffirming that his heart is still in Barcelona. However, many people became afraid that the damage was already done. Xavi cleared everyone’s doubt during Barcelona’s pre-match press conference against Elche.
When asked about the matter, he said, “He is calm and focused. I only care about him, not his father or his entourage. I have also lived through similar situations, he is suffering for his son and I understand him.” He added, “I have confidence and total faith in Ansu. I’ve spoken to him a lot and I’ve met him many times, as I have with many other players. I’m the first one who wants him to succeed.”
Fati has gone through several injury issues which could have led to a drop in his form. Xavi has been trying to rebuild a team that dropped from grace after their sky-high success up until 5-6 years ago. While rebuilding, he has given chances to many youngsters including Fati. He could regain his brilliant form with time and as of now, the player himself has no intention of leaving Barcelona.
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