Intermediaries have offered Chelsea the chance to sign Ansu Fati, with Tottenham approaching Barcelona over a season-long loan deal.
According to reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will have the opportunity to sign Ansu Fati before the summer transfer window shuts down. Meanwhile, Tottenham and Barcelona are in contact over a possible loan deal for the 20-year-old prospect. The Catalan giants want his next club to cover his entire salary.
Ansu Fati has endured a nightmare as a senior footballer since his breakthrough campaign with Barcelona. The Spanish international emerged as a potential heir to Lionel Messi in the 2019/20 season. But after suffering long-term injuries, he has failed to progress much in his career.
The 20-year-old prospect played over 50 times for Barcelona last season but failed to set the stage alight. And Fati has managed only 47 minutes of game time in three appearances thus far this term. So, the youngster does not feature in Xavi Hernandez’s plans as an undisputed first-choice starter. But his stock remains high, with several high-profile clubs keen on signing him.
In addition, the report by Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Chelsea will have an opportunity to secure Fati’s services. Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Arsenal have shown interest in Barcelona’s homegrown prospect. But Tottenham might be the most-advanced suitor in the race to sign him.
Understand Tottenham are now in contact with Barça to negotiate for Ansu Fati deal on loan until June 2024. ⚪️🇪🇸 #THFC
Discussions about conditions of the deal but Barça want 100% of the salary covered.
Ansu, also presented to Chelsea as opportunity but no former approach yet. pic.twitter.com/AxXVrmVqcW
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 30, 2023
The 20-year-old has been on Tottenham’s radar for some time now. And the North London giants have approached Barcelona over a possible loan move for the remainder of the 2023/24 season. But it is unclear how Fati will fit into the scheme of things unless he plays centrally, considering Son Heung-min is the first-choice left-winger.
On the other hand, Chelsea should not take up the offer to secure Fati’s services. The Blues have several wide attackers in their first-team squad. And with Raheem Sterling showing signs of resurgence, Mauricio Pochettino has enough options for the flanks. So, Chelsea should prioritise signing a striker instead of a player like the Barcelona prospect.
Meanwhile, Barcelona will happily loan Fati out before the summer transfer window shuts down. But they need the youngster’s suitors to cover his entire salary, which will likely help them with Financial Fair Play issues. It will be interesting to see if Tottenham or Chelsea will land the 20-year-old this summer.
