Ansu Fati’s departure from FC Barcelona to Monaco seems like a done deal, but there are still a few minor details to be ironed out before the agreement is finalized. The player is on the verge of saying goodbye, possibly for good, to Barça, where he has failed to make his mark after being sidelined for much of the season. The youth academy graduate has played no part in the first team all season, making it clear that his future lies elsewhere.
A season practically wasted
Ansu Fati’s season under Hansi Flick at FC Barcelona could not have ended any other way than with his departure. The situation was already untenable and the player finally agreed to look for a way out. He has played less than 300 minutes this season under Hansi Flick, who has left him out of the squad on several occasions.
Specifically, he has played 298 minutes spread over eleven games, six in La Liga, four in the Champions League, and one in the Copa del Rey. In the final stretch of the competition, Hansi Flick had a couple of games in which he wanted to rest his key players and gave Ansu Fati a chance, but he failed to take advantage of the opportunity to prove himself and earn a place and continuity at FC Barcelona, which does not count on him.
“He’s a player who had a spectacular burst of form, then the injuries came. We wanted to get Ansu back and he had a great preseason, but for whatever reason he hasn’t had any opportunities. From here on, everyone has their own personal analysis and will see if they want to play more minutes. He’s a great player who hasn’t had a chance this season,” said Deco in an interview with RAC1.
Heading to Monaco with just a few details left to finalize
Now that the time has come to leave, his destination will be Monaco. The agreement is practically complete, with only minor details remaining. The forward will leave on loan as he has a contract with Barcelona until 2027 and Monaco did not want to pay a transfer fee for a player who has not had any playing time. According to Fabrizio Romano, the player agreed to leave for Monaco weeks ago, and the French league club and Barça have reached an agreement for him to leave on a season-long loan with a non-mandatory €12 million buyout option for the Monegasque club. Also, according to Sport, the agreement could include a buy-back option for Barça for €24 million, but only for one year. From then on, they would receive a percentage of any future sale.
However, not everything has been finalized yet. FC Barcelona has several requests. According to Sport, the Catalan club wants the Monegasque club to take over the player’s entire salary, around €12 million gross. That is one option; another would be for the player to contribute some of the money.