Tottenham ‘join Manchester United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich in the race to sign Ansu Fati this summer for up to £90M’ – but the Barcelona star ‘wants to STAY at the Nou Camp’
- Spurs need some offensive firepower to challenge next season
- But the talented 20-year-old is eager to fight for his spot under Xavi
- Fati’s father Bori has pleaded for him to leave the club due to limited playing time
Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to have expressed an interest in Barcelona’s Ansu Fati – but the out-of-favor prodigy is determined to stay at the Camp Nou, according to reports.
The 20-year-old, whose teenage form saw him handed Lionel Messi’s hallowed number 10 shirt after the legend left the club in 2021, has previously been considered by Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
Fati has fallen out of favor with the club, struggling for consistent playing time under manager Xavi during his first season in charge due to rocky form and gnawing injury concerns.
From Mundo Deportivothis has led the club to give its agent Jorge Mendes the green light to explore offers from other clubs.
The Spurs have been blunted in attack this season, partly due to inconsistent spells from last year’s Premier League Golden Boot winner Son Heung-min and summer signing Richarlison. The London club could benefit greatly from its firepower.
Barcelona’s Ansu Fati is being considered by Tottenham as they try to refine their attack
But despite Barcelona’s willingness to shake off the No. 10 – due to their need to raise £178m to sign new players – Fati, who could pull in bids of up to £90m, would be determined to stay.
The player has long dreamed of a first-team role for the Catalan club and following it remains his number one priority.
In contrast, his father Bori claimed in an interview with Spanish radio station Cope in March that he was urging his son to look beyond Barcelona due to his lack of playing time this season.
“At Barca, they tell me they bet a lot on Ansu, they tell me that clearly,” said Bori. “When I sat down with Jorge Mendes, the first thing he told me was that Ansu wants to stay and continue to play for Barcelona.
‘But as a father I thought otherwise and Ansu disagrees.
“What bothers me is how they treat Ansu for minutes. One minute, two minutes, three minutes, that bothers me.’
After the interview, Fati’s manager said he had spoken to the young player about trying to get his form back.
Xavi said he was able to “empathize” with his young player as he struggled to find form this season
After being named in the starting eleven against Elche, Fati scored for the first time in five months
He’s calm and focused. It’s the most important thing,” Xavi said of his player.
“I don’t care about his father or his agent. I’m worried about him. Or rather, he keeps me busy. He is doing well, he is training well.
“I have empathy, I’ve been through similar situations. He’s a great guy, mature, who knows what he’s talking about and will help us a lot.’
In a show of patience that paid off, Xavi called Fati to the starting eleven against Elche on April 1 and saw the player find the back of the net in style during the LaLiga leaders’ 4-0 defeat of their relegation-threatened opponents .