Ansu Fati was turning out to be one of the most promising FC Barcelona players who had left on loan in the summer to continue their growth and development. The youngster shone in the opportunities that Roberto de Zerbi gave him at Brighton and Hove Albion.
However, the injury that he suffered last week, which will keep him out of action for around two months, will not allow him to play at the consistent pace that he needs at this point in his career and also resurfaces the doubts about his long term fitness and the physical ability to keep playing on the highest level.
Still, the player remains a highly in-demand commodity in the market. This is made obvious by a recent report from SPORT, which claims that some Saudi sides still see Fati as a strategic objective and are highly interested in signing the youngster in the upcoming summer.
These links between the player and Saudi sides are not new, as they already had tried to get the youngster in the last summer transfer window. However, Fati refused to go to the Middle East, as he wanted, firstly, to remain and succeed at Barcelona, or secondly, to join a Premier League side where he could be an active protagonist.
FC Barcelona had assured the youngster that they wanted him to regain his best form and that he could return to the club in the future, but the club does not have an actual long-term plan for him.
Thus, Barcelona will be open to letting him go, and as a move to another top European side seems difficult, Saudi Arabia emerges as a suitable option for the Catalan club.
Fati is still highly rated at €35 million. While this is quite far from the top value that the youngster had at one point in his career, this sum will still be an irresistible one for Barcelona, especially as the club is looking to incorporate another winger in the next summer.
