Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has acknowledged that Ansu Fati has caught his attention as the winger continues to fight for his future at the club.
Fati has only made four La Liga appearances this season and has played just once for Barcelona since November 2024—coming on as a late substitute in the Copa del Rey match against fourth-tier Barbastro.
The 22-year-old was frequently linked with a move away from Barcelona during the January transfer window, but he chose to stay and fight for his place in the squad, despite Flick recognizing the stiff competition for minutes in his position.
Embracing the challenge, Fati has been working hard behind the scenes, and Flick praised the winger’s attitude in a press conference on Saturday.
“This is the plan with Ansu Fati,” Flick said. “Sometimes you speak with the coach, and a few days later, you see the results. [Marc-Andre] Ter Stegen, [Marc] Bernal, and [Andreas] Christensen are injured. The rest are 21 players. Ansu is doing very well, improving, and that’s what we want. He’s on the right path.”
Fati’s situation at Barcelona is complicated by his status as one of the club’s top earners. His reported £200,000 weekly salary, stemming from a contract signed in October 2021 after recovering from a serious knee injury, has added to the club’s financial strain. Barcelona had hoped to offload his wages in January to make room for a move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, but Fati stood his ground. He now has five months to impress Flick and secure his place in the team.
