FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta (C) shakes hands with Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Ansu Fati next to Barcelona's Norwegian forward Caroline Graham Hansen during the presentation of the club´s new jerseys in Barcelona on June 15, 2021. - (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP) (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)
Ansu Fati only thinking about Barcelona extension
BARCELONA, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 07: Ansu Fati of FC Barcelona pass the ball during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Real Betis at Camp Nou on November 07, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Barcelona is soon to receive a major boost as Ansu Fati is inching closer to a return following a long-term injury.
The 18-year-old suffered a knee injury last season in a match against Real Betis in November that has sidelined him for nearly a year.
In addition to Ronald Koeman being able to count on the forward, the club also got some good news regarding the player’s future.
Fati has told his agent his priority is to stay at Barcelona
Fati’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season but with conflicting reports indicating Barcelona has an option to extend it two more years.
Whatever the case may be, Fati has told his agent, Jorge Mendes, to do whatever it takes to reach an agreement with the Catalan giants on an extension. According to Mundo Deportivo, he expressed as such in a dinner with the super agent. During their dinner, Mendes also told Fati how Barcelona consider him an integral part of the club’s future going forward.
At the same time, Mendes explained the club’s financial situation and how the terms on a new contract would work out. Fati is well aware of the team’s problems and is willing to structure a deal around it.
Barcelona has placed a lot of expectations on Fati and want him to be the face of the club following the departure of Lionel Messi. Their confidence in him is such that they gave him the No. 10 shirt previously worn by Messi.
There was a long debate as to which player would inherit Messi’s old number. Some of the players they had in mind did not want to the added responsibility for one reason or another. In contrast, Fati accepted to take the number and take on the challenge.
The road back has not been without its setbacks. Fati underwent a three surgeries to finally be able to train without feeling any pain. During that process, Sergio Busquets took the youngster under his wing and was one of the club captains who convinced him to take the No. 10 shirt.
It is no secret how desperate Barcelona is to recover a player like Fati. It was more than evident in their 3-0 loss in the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
With Antoine Griezmann’s departure and Martin Braithwaite out four months after undergoing surgery, an already depleted Barcelona frontline is bereft of attackers.
Barcelona can breathe easy for now but they have to be careful or they may find themselves in a situation similar to the one they had with Ilaix Moriba.
They also need to be careful in not rushing Fati back and expecting him to hit the ground running. He’s been sidelined for quite a while and will need time to get match fit and acclimate himself with the likes of Memphis, Luuk de Jong and Yusuf Demir.
Fati has made his stance clear. It’s now up to Barcelona to sit down, start contract negotiations and tie down a player who, if everything goes right, will be part of their core for at least the next decade.
