Barcelona are going to have a difficult summer, regardless of what happens in the final stages of the season. Their still overweight wage bill needs to be shrunk by around €200m if La Liga are to be believed, and that will necessitate some sacrifices within the Blaugrana squad.
While Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski look as if they have their places assured ahead of next season, the obvious area where Barcelona can trim their squad is the forward line. Raphinha and Ferran Torres were were bought for a combined total in excess of €110m. Should they retain their value, either could be a logical farewell for the Blaugrana.
Then there is the curious case of Ansu Fati. Undoubtedly the part of the trio that has the highest ceiling, he also appears to have the lowest floor.
Confidence in the doldrums, even after their latest El Clasico victory, Fati did not look as if he was enjoying it as much as the others. Ansu has appeared in most games this season, but often only for short cameos, as was the case against Real Madrid.
According to El Desmarque, Director of Football Mateu Alemany and President Joan Laporta have been coming round to the idea of selling him. They go on to reference a report in El Nacional claiming that if they do so, despite Jorge Mendes best efforts, they are unlikely to attract ‘just’ €40m for Ansu.
Appearing 38 times this season, contributing 6 goals and 3 assists, Ansu has still only completed two 90 minutes all season. Coming back from almost an entire season out with knee issues, it was always likely to take him some time to demonstrate his best level.
However with little chance of getting a consistent run of games under his belt, there are doubts about whether he will be able to return to his former level at Barcelona, if he can at all.
Taking that into consideration, the idea of a sale makes more sense. However the Blaugrana had expected to get somewhere between €60-70m for him, but the new figure being mentioned makes his sale less attractive than that of Raphinha or Torres. Should that price decline any further, then it may persuade Barcelona to keep him longer.
With wages of around €12m to consider, and a contract running for a further four years though, the potential money saved on his wages will also become a factor for the club.
Either way it’s shaping up to be a difficult decision for Barcelona to make, and if they do decide their patience with Fati is at an end, an even trickier negotiation.
