Barcelona counting the cost of injury to Messi’s forgotten heir – and millions are at stake

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Barcelona remain a club under financial pressure, and though it’s not as acute as it once was, the latest injury to a player once regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi represents another significant blow for the Camp Nou side.

When Ansu Fati burst onto the scene in 2019, there were legitimate hopes that he would become what Lamine Yamal is now.

Aged 16, he skipped the reserves entirely and made his debut for the club as the second youngest ever to feature for the senior side. A week later, his first goal followed, and within a month he had made his first start. It seemed the beginning of an irresistible career.

What was not forecast, though, were the type of injury issues that have seen Fati effectively forgotten at Camp Nou.

But Fati could still be worth millions to Barcelona if he can only stay fit long enough to unlock his undoubted talent.

Fati’s injury issues continue at Monaco

Barcelona sold Fati to Monaco in the summer in a deal worth €11 million, but they did not entirely cut ties with the talented winger. As is now their custom, they retain a stake in the player, which Mundo Deportivo reports to be around 20%.

It is, therefore, in their interests to see Fati thrive in France.

When he’s been fit enough to take to the pitch, he has done. Last season, when he was on loan at the club, he scored 11 times in 25 Ligue 1 games, returning a goal on average once every 98.6 minutes.

Injury, though, restricted him to just 13 starts across all competitions.

If Monaco hoped the situation would improve this season, they have been proven wrong. Struck by issues in the summer, Fati has suffered two relapses that have restricted him to five outings. The latest of these came in Sunday’s Ligue 1 meeting with Lille and will keep him out for six weeks, according to Nice Matin.

This is a devastating blow for Monaco, but also Barcelona, who will be hoping that Fati can get to his best in the principality and complete a big money move that would richly reward their decision to sell him for a cut-price figure to the French side.

Could Fati become a €50m star again?

During his early peak years, Fati’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) topped out at €41.8m, though this soon dropped after injuries struck.

The move to Monaco has helped to rebuild his value, which currently sits at €19.3m. He is clearly a player worth more than this figure when he makes it onto the pitch.

Other comparable players in terms of age (20-23) and skill level include Bazoumana Toure, Mathys Tel and Francisco Conceicao. All have ETVs in the region of €30-40m.

A concerted run of fitness would see Fati’s value hit this level – and potentially grow even further given that his innate talent level if so high. Villarreal’s Alberto Moleiro, for example, is worth close to €50m.

If Monaco were to sell Fati at his ETV price, the difference to Barcelona would be enormous. Currently, they would receive in the region of €4m, but this could rise to €10-12.5m if he can unlock his potential.

For neutral fans, Fati’s demise should be a source of disappointment, but for Barca, it’s been an expensive collapse.

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