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Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati has enjoyed an eye-catching start to the season, with three goals in his first three La Liga games, and has gone on to impress on international duty with Spain.
The 17-year-old is currently with the national side preparing for Nations League fixtures against Switzerland and Ukraine and was spotted practicing some of his skills on the training ground with former Barcelona winger Adama Traore.
The two players know each other well from their time together at Barcelona, coming up through the ranks of the club’s famous La Masia youth academy. Fati has gone on to make the breakthrough into the first-team at the Camp Nou, while Traore left in 2015 and currently plays for Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Traore Talks Ansu Bond
Traore made his Spain debut on Wednesday in an international friendly draw with Portugal and put in a lively performance which suggests he could feature in the team’s next two games.
The winger’s performance prompted suggestions he could be tempted to return to Barcelona, and Traore addressed the speculation and his relationship with Fati at a press conference on Thursday.
“We talk about everything, more general topics because I have been at the club for many years and so has he. We met in the academy, we spoke about things to do with the team, the things that we have happened together at Barcelona and we know each other well. It’s not my decision whether I would suit Barcelona, my mentality is to work every day to be better.”
Manager Luis Enrique has already confirmed Fati will play in Spain’s next game against Switzerland on Saturday. The teenager scored his first international goal on his first start last time out, becoming Spain’s youngest goalscorer in the process.
Spain Boss Urges Calm Over Fati
Fati’s goal was the latest in a series of landmarks the youngster has hit since making his Barcelona debut in September 2019. The forward has gone on to break a host of records, and it’s easy to forget he does not celebrate his 18th birthday until later this month.
Spain boss Enrique, who previously managed Barcelona, has urged calm over the youngster due to his tender years.
“Ansu Fati needs patience, tranquility and a calm climate that we will try to give him. To keep playing for the national team you need to keep running in defense. We would do him a disservice if we wanted him to solve each game for us. He’s still a teenager.”
There’s no doubt that Fati looks to be a special talent who will need to be nurtured carefully in order to develop his full potential. Barcelona and Spain have already seen exactly what he can do already and will be hoping for much more in the coming years.
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