Ansu Fati celebrates his 22nd birthday with his future in Barcelona in the 'air'

Ansu Fati turns 22 this Thursday and, unlike in 2023, he was able to celebrate his anniversary at FC Barcelona, ​​the club of his life. The Barça team shared a short video on their social networks congratulating the winger after his arrival at training at the Ciutat Esportiva, where the '10' exercised normally with the rest of the squad.

Happy birthday, Ansu! 🎂 pic.twitter.com/dxlmu7bjkf

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_is) October 31, 2024

The team began preparation for Sunday's clash against Espanyol (16:15 CEST), where the team from Bissau hopes, once again, to have minutes that will help them continue gaining a competitive rhythm. 

Since his debut in 2019/20, Fati has played 119 official matches for Barça in which he has scored 29 goals and 10 assists. His record includes a League (2023), a Copa del Rey (2021) and a Spanish Super Cup (2023), despite having missed almost all of 2021 due to injuries.

Hansi Flick keeps his trust in Ansu Fati intact

This season, the one from Bissau missed the entire preseason and the first month of competition due to an injury to his right foot. Hence, until now, the '10' has barely accumulated 132 minutes of action in five games, one of them as a starter (against Sevilla). 

However, Hansi Flick, who was captivated by the winger in his first training sessions, rates him positively for his rotations, but both Raphinha and Dani Olmo are the first options to occupy the left side in attack. Even Ferran Torres, today in the infirmary, is ahead of Ansu in the German coach's plans.

However, the man from Heidelberg fully trusts Fati's conditions and hopes to give him more minutes in the coming weeks, as the calendar allows. The '10' has entered the squad for the three Champions League matches played so far, with mostly residual minutes, but which demonstrate Flick's desire to take him into account.

Barça does not rule out doing without Ansu in the winter market

Although, at the moment, the board is not contemplating making important moves in the next transfer window, the one from Bissau is one of the names that the club keeps on the table as a possible discard for the second half of the season.

Sevilla is still very interested in Ansu and, if they present a good offer, they could secure his loan for six months, with a non-obligatory purchase option, as long as the '10' counts little in Hansi Flick's plans from now on. January.

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Sevilla would return to the charge for Ansu Fati in the winter transfer market

Fati already spent a year on loan at Brighton, where he had bad luck with injuries and the scheme of a Roberto De Zerbi whom he never fully convinced. If he leaves for another LaLiga club, the 22-year-old striker may finally find the continuity that has eluded him for most of his short career due to physical problems.