Manchester United Reportedly Interested In Signing FC Barcelona Prodigy Ansu Fati

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Ansu Fati from FC Barcelona.

The 20-year-old who inherited Lionel Messi’s ’10’ shirt and signed a new contract through to 2027 with a €1bn ($1.09bn) release clause in October 2021 is currently struggling for form in Xavi Hernandez’s La Liga-leading first team.

In the club legend’s successful new system of four midfielders, there is only space for one pure winger on the right flank which appears to be Raphinha amid Ousmane Dembele’s fresh injury.

Gavi, or sometimes Pedri, operates as a false left winger, in an area of the park where Fati is often deployed. In games where Robert Lewandowski has been suspended, the Guinea-Bissau-born prodigy has also failed to impress as a striker and was hooked by Xavi in favor of Alejandro Balde at Girona last Saturday where Pedri scored the winner in a scrappy 1-0 victory.

Barca are currently faced with a dilemma, as La Liga president Javier Tebas has revealed they must shave €200mn ($218mn) from the wage bill in order to navigate Financial Fair Play rules for 2023/2024.

This has triggered beliefs that Barca must make a big sale in order to balance the books. And according to SPORT on Friday, PremierPINC
League giants United could help them out if their rumored interest in Fati is concrete.

Fati is said to have his heart set on staying at Barca, but he and his camp led by super agent Jordge Mendes are aware that his form for the rest of the season is pivotal.

Mendes has been gathering interest for a player who is spending a lot of time on the bench, and as always England’s top flight is the mostly likely potential destination where upwards of €100mn ($109mn) could be raised for his transfer.

While Barca of course see Fati as a star of tomorrow hence the decision to hand him Messi’s old shirt, their financial predicament might force them to listen to a potential offfer from United .

In under a fortnight, the Red Devils travel to Camp Nou for the first leg of their Europa League play off with Barca where they could get a look at Fati up close or even start negotiating his transfer.

Barca should think about giving Fati more time, and instead look to sell the likes of his postional rival Ferran Torres and close friend Eric Garcia if they can.

Yet if United’s proposal proves astronomical, it wouldn’t hurt to hear what they have to say about a player who has unfortnuately never been the same since two lengthy injuries which kept him sidelined for considerable amonts of time after bursting onto the scene as a record-breaking 16-year-old in 2019.