Barcelona are expected to be very active in the transfer market this summer. They have already agreed to sign Inigo Martinez and Ilkay Gundogan, with both set to join next month, but they aren’t stopping there.
Terms have reportedly been agreed with Athletico Paranaense over a deal for Vitor Roque, while a new pivot and right back is also high on the agenda for Barcelona, as they look to build on their successful 2022-23 season.
However, because of their poor financial situation, significant sales will be required in order to register all of their new signings. Several players have been transfer-listed, including the likes of Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet.
However, current first team players may also need to be sold, with Franck Kessie, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia and Ansu Fati among the most likely to depart this summer, with Barcelona being happen to let each of them leave.
However, Fati’s case has been a speculative one, as the 20-year-old is not keen on leaving and would prefer to fight for his place under Xavi Hernandez, who used his sparingly during the 2022-23 season.
Fati’s resistance appears to have had an effect, with MD reporting that Barcelona are prepared to keep at the club for at least one more year.
This would be the right decision for Barcelona to take, and there are multiple reasons as to why. The first of which is in regards to Fati himself. Yes, he has struggled after coming back to injury, and he has failed to re-capture his previous form so far, but it’s not overly unexpected.
It’s easy to forget that Fati is only 20. He’s been in-and-around the Barcelona first team setup for four years, and it’s not a particularly easy environment for most young players. On top of this, there’s certainly an argument to suggest that the expectation for Fati is way higher than it should be.
During the 2022-23 season, Fati was Barcelona’s second-top goal scorer, scoring 10 goals from only 1,827 minutes, which is an impressive return for someone that did not start very often, and especially considering his age. This proves that he is a valuable asset for Barcelona, and he will only get better with age and experience.
Secondly, Fati will be need in the squad next season as Barcelona are short at left wing. He was the only natural option in the squad during 2022-23, which led Xavi to regularly utilise his four-midfielder system.
However, 4-3-3 is still valuable for Barcelona, and Fati is the best player at the club to play in that left wing role, much more so that Torres and Raphinha, who were utilised there on occasion during 2022-23.
With Abde set to return to the Barcelona first team for next season, Barcelona will have two very different, but both equally promising talents to choose from at left wing. Fati is likely to be ahead on merit, but it is very handy for Xavi to have them both.
Fati was heralded as being a future star player when he first broke onto the scene, but even despite his difficulties since, there’s no reason to suggest that he can’t still hit those heights. So many world class players haven’t good as good as Fati is at age 20, so he has an excellent base to catapult from.
It’s understandable that Xavi wants to pick his best squad for the majority of matches, and given the fact that Fati has barely played under him, he seemingly does not see the young forward as being in that.
However, Fati has shown sparks when called upon, and as he plays more, he will get better as he grows more confident. Xavi should be looking to start him more for Barcelona next season, and he should definitely be staying at the club this summer.
