Out-of-favor Barcelona forward is a concern for the club beyond just his sporting quality – Report | OneFootball

It is never a good sight to see a Barcelona player struggling to find a place at the club. After all, every single player in the team has their own struggle linked to their rise to the first team. Unfortunately, however, even Barcelona has to make difficult decisions at times.

While there are players who are struggling with minutes recently, such as Gavi, there are others who are not being used at all. The most prominent of such players is Ansu Fati, a 22-year-old Spanish forward who was once regarded as a future superstar for Barcelona.

Now consistently left out of matchday squads by Hansi Flick this season, it is clear to see that the Spaniard is not in the plans of the German coach. However, there is more to this issue than meets the eye it seems.

As per SPORT, the issue with Ansu Fati is one that goes beyond just the sporting concerns of the club and the coaching staff. It is also a matter of finances, as the club believes that the forward earns way too high of a salary for a player who is barely featuring for the team.

According to information provided by the report, Fati is currently on a deal that sees him earn an increasing salary as the years pass by. This meant that he would earn €6 million in his first year, €8 million in the next, and then €10 million, €12 million, and finally €14 million in 2027 as per his contract.

For this reason, Flick reportedly had a talk with the player and suggested that leaving the club would be the best decision for him:

“You need to play. It’s essential. That’s the only way to get back to being yourself and reconnect with your game. The road to success is never a straight line.”

Moreover, the German coach even suggested that it was not necessary for him to play in Europe’s top leagues to find his best version again.

Still, the young forward remained disinterested in any offer that did come his way. While he listened to his coach with respect, his initial decision so far was to remain at Barcelona and try to prove his worth again no matter what it took. Unfortunately, however, it does not seem to be working.

Reliable journalists have reported in recent weeks that the player’s future now looks to be away from the club. Expected to leave in the summer, it seems to be an unfortunate reality for Barça’s current number ‘10’ that his destiny at the club is going down this route.