Barcelona have rejected a €100m offer for Ansu Fati from an ‘unnamed European heavyweight club’, despite the club’s desire to raise funds ahead of the transfer window.
The Catalan giants had a big summer of spending planned prior to the coronavirus outbreak, with a big money move for Inter forward Lautaro Martinez and a reunion with Neymar at the top of their priorities list.
However, the likelihood of Neymar returning has been reduced by the lack of income brought in following the global pandemic, while the club’s finances took a further hit when Bayern Munich opted not to exercise their right to buy out of favour midfielder Philippe Coutinho for €120m.
If the club are to raise funds, they are unwilling to sacrifice La Masia product Fati in order to do so. According to Spanish news outlet AS, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu received a €100m offer for the teenager on Thursday, but Bartomeu made clear that he is not for sale under any circumstances.
This is predominantly due to the growing improbability of Barcelona completing a move for Neymar this summer, leaving an attacking void for Fati to fill.
Although the club are keen to raise income, they see Fati as ‘the future of the club’ and there is little appetite to cash in on the 17-year-old.
The club are to lift Fati up the pecking order at the expense of Ousmane Dembele, who they are eager to offload in the summer.
At the end of May, 90min revealed that Liverpool had lined up a loan move Dembele as a potential alternative signing to Timo Werner – who has since agreed to join Premier League rivals Chelsea.
According to AS, the Barcelona board see Fati as ‘untouchable’. They are keen to continue to promote talent from their La Masia academy, and Fati – Barcelona’s youngest ever La Liga scorer – is the prime example of such talent.
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