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Barcelona has been warned that selling 17-year-old starlet Ansu Fati would be a “big mistake” ahead of the summer transfer window.
There have been rumors Manchester United are willing to spend big on the teenager, but Daniel Horcas, who coached Fati at Barcelona‘s La Masia youth academy, says the club must keep hold of their young star.
Horcas told Esports Cope that he does not think Fati is contemplating leaving the Camp Nou and hopes he can stay for a long time.
“Going back to Barcelona B, after having scored in the Champions League, or going to another club, I would see as a big mistake,” he said.
“He is focused and I do not think he contemplates anything from outside, he is happy and feels valued. I hope he stays for many years. He must be very patient. He is a 17-year-old boy and he must have a cool head because in the end he has the talent and he is showing it.”
Fati has made a spectacular impact at the club this season. He broke into the first-team set-up as a 16-year-old in August and was rewarded with a new and improved contract in December.
The teenager’s new deal runs until June 2022 with the option of two more seasons. His buyout clause was raised at the time from €100 million to €170m.
Fati Continues to Impress at Barcelona
Fati hit the headlines back in August when he scored his first goal for the club against Osasuna and wrote his name into the history books:
👏 👏 👏 Ansu Fati, the youngest Barça goalscorer in #LaLigaSantander 🙌🔥🎉🤩
3 – Ansu Faty (16 years and 304 days) has become the third youngest player to score in LaLIga history, after Fabrice Olinga (16y & 98d) and Iker Muniain (16y & 289d). Future.
The teenager has continued to impress, becoming the youngest Champions League goalscorer in December, and so far has not let soaring expectations overwhelm him in his first full season at the Camp Nou.
He was on target again on Tuesday in a 2-0 win over Leganes to keep the club’s title hopes on track with his fifth La Liga goal of the campaign.
Fati Going Nowhere
Fati’s performances have fuelled speculation over his future. Lluis Miguelsanz at Sport has reported Barcelona turned down a €100m offer from Manchester United, while Duncan Castles at The Times wrote the Red Devils made a second offer worth €150m.
The youngster has been attracting interest from top clubs, including Real Madrid, for some time but will not be sold, according to Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden at ESPN.
Barcelona director Xavier Vilajoana has also insisted the youngster is not for sale in an interview with Sport’s German Bona.
“For us, there’s no story with Ansu, we have never spoken about selling him. We won’t use players from the academy to make cash. In principle, we have no intention of selling the players we believe will make the first team.”
Fati has demonstrated his potential this season already, and it seems unthinkable Barcelona would contemplate allowing such a young talent to leave the Camp Nou.
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