Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati has reportedly emerged as a target for Borussia Dortmund, as they eye a replacement for exit-bound Jadon Sancho.
According to a report from Spanish publication Sport, as carried by the Daily Mail, Borussia Dortmund have identified Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati as a potential target to replace star winger Jadon Sancho.
Sancho’s future has been a subject of intense speculation, with the England international heavily linked with an exit amid interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. In fact, the Red Devils are reportedly in pole position to complete the signing of the speedster.
This would leave a gaping hole in the Dortmund attack, which they are keen on filling with the signing of Ansu Fati. The 17-year-old forward, a product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, broke through the first-team in the 2019-20 campaign and has carved out quite the reputation for himself with some fine displays.
Fati became Barcelona’s second-youngest player when he made his debut from the bench against Real Betis. He also became the youngest ever goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League when he found the back of the net with a late winner in a group stage clash against Inter Milan.
Till date, Fati has featured in 24 matches across all competitions for the Catalans, contributing with a handy return of five goals and a solitary assist.
Barcelona, in recent years, have struggled to integrate academy players into the first-team successfully, like they did in the past. So, having seen Fati impress in his breakthrough campaign, the reigning La Liga champions wouldn’t want to lose the 17-year-old.
But, the report suggests that Barcelona would be open to a transfer, as long as there is a buy-back option inserted to bring him back to Camp Nou at a later date. The Catalan giants had applied a similar strategy with Gerard Deulofeu, selling him to Everton in 2015, before triggering the buy-back clause two years later.
Fati’s contract with Barcelona runs till the summer of 2022, with the club retaining the option of extending it by a couple more years. It is hard to see the La Liga leaders letting go of the youngster with such potential only a season after he broke into the senior team.
As a result, Dortmund might have to look elsewhere to replace Sancho, with Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka also being linked with a move to the Signal Iduna Park.
