Barcelona manager opens the door to an Ansu Fati exit

With only one game left to go before the end of the season and the LaLiga title all wrapped up, Barcelona and Xavi Hernandez are starting to map out their plan for next season. Part of that planning involves deciding which players he no longer counts on.

While nothing is certain, the players likely on their way out include Franck Kessie, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati.

Ansu Fati received a rare start in their last match against Mallorca and scored a brace. However, his performance may have done little to change his future come next season.

In an interview with Diario Sport, Xavi was asked about Ansu Fati and didn’t exactly shut the door on a possible exit.

At the moment, no one has given up on anything,” Xavi said when asked if he was scared about giving up on Fati. “I didn’t want Aubameyang to leave the club but in the end we are in an economic situation that the whole world depends on the economic situation of the club and of [Financial] Fair Play.

“Aubameyang [his exit] was a heartbreaker. I didn’t want him to leave but ultimately it was an economic opportunity for us and for him and that’s how it is with the players. Each and every of the players, in the end, it will depend on if it compensates us or not, not just Ansu, but of every player currently in the squad.”

In essence, Ansu Fati is not an untouchable and Barcelona is ready to move on should the right offer come in.

What makes Ansu’s departure more of a possibility than someone like Ferran Torres is whatever hypothetical offer Barcelona receive and accept, all of it can be considered as revenue in Fati’s case. He didn’t cost the club a transfer fee as he rose up through La Masia. Torres cost Barcelona a decent amount to bring him over from Manchester City and he’s only been at Barcelona for a season and a half.

Depending on what offers they receive, they are going to have to offset that offer with the amount remaining in amortization. With that scenario unlikely, if Torres is a player they no longer want, they are going to have to be comfortable with booking a loss. How much will, again, depend on what offers they receive.

The ongoing debate is whether or not it’s too soon to seemingly give up on a player who is only 20-years-old. The answer to that is going to come down to if Barcelona believe he can return to being the player he was, or close to it, before the injuries. As it stands, it seems like they don’t.