What's next for Ansu Fati?

Once hailed as the heir to Lionel Messi's throne, Ansu Fati is rapidly losing the faith of his boyhood club.

In September 2019, Ansu Fati became the youngest player in LaLiga history to score and assist in the same match. At the age of 16 years and 318 days, he achieved this feat in his first career start.

Ansu’s progression from this point was meteoric; he inherited Messi’s iconic number 10 shirt, he became the youngest scorer in the history of El Clásico, the Champions League and the Spanish national team, he signed an eye-watering contract that included a €1 billion release clause, and he won LaLiga Player of the Month in September 2020.

Unfortunately for the young winger, this development came to a standstill when he suffered a meniscus tear barely one month after collecting the Player of the Month award, sidelining him for nine months. He returned in time for the start of the following season, but despite making a triumphant return with a goal against Levante within 10 minutes of his reintroduction, a series of hamstring injuries in the ensuing months would keep Ansu away from the pitch for even longer.

Bringing us to today, Fati has only managed four LaLiga appearances this season, representing Barcelona just once since November 2024, in a late substitute cameo against fourth-tier Barbastro in the Copa del Rey.

Hansi Flick has made it clear with his team selections that the now 22-year-old is not part of his plans, but in recent weeks the German has confirmed a willingness to keep Fati in his squad if the club couldn’t offload him in the January transfer window.

Ansu pockets almost €250,000 a week, making him one the club’s highest earners, and due to Barcelona’s pursuit of Marcus Rashford in January, the club seemed desperate to find the Guinea-Bissau native a new home.

The player, on the other hand, is prepared to fight for his place in the squad, as he reportedly rejected a last-minute offer from the Saudi Pro League, despite a substantial financial package being put forward. Al-Shabab were rumoured to have made a proposal of €10m transfer fee, plus €5m in add-ons, but Barcelona accepted Fati’s stance.

Despite not even making Flick’s travelling squad in some weeks, Fati has been staying behind after training to try and improve and prove to his manager that he deserves another chance, according to Cadena SER. The report also states that Robert Lewandowski regularly stays with Ansu after training to help him with his finishing.

With Barcelona still competing in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League, Fati is expected to be given minutes to prove himself, but with the added pressure from the club, the clock is ticking for the once-proclaimed heir to Messi’s throne.

With Raphinha and Lamine Yamal performing so well, and Flick preferring players such as Pau Víctor and Ferran Torres when he looks to his bench, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ansu Fati is playing in different colours come next season.

What do you think will happen with Ansu? Do you think he’s still capable of playing in this Barcelona team? Let us know in the comments below.