This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Ansu Fati is by now one of the most popular 16-year-olds in the world of football.
A name that just months ago was relatively unknown to the general public is now on everyone’s lips when trying to list the most talented youngsters on the current stage.
And sure, Fati’s meteoric rise is truly an impressive feat – in the first couple of appearances, the La Masia prodigy has managed to break multiple records, shattering them one by one, goal by goal and is now showing no signs of stopping.
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His biggest reward, however, is yet to arrive but is possibly on its way.
Mundo Deportivo recently broke a story stating Barcelona are aiming to offer the crown jewel of their academy a new and improved contract that would see his release clause drastically improved and more importantly, it would tie him down with the Blaugrana’s first team.
This might not come as a surprise to many.
After all, we’re talking about the record-breaking kid himself and besides, his performances with the Catalan giant, regardless of their still low figure, have been more than proof enough he can tango with the best of them.
In just five games in La Liga this season, the young winger has already scored twice and assisted a further goal in the process, practically bullying opponents he should not be playing against at this stage of his career.
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But is this really the way Barcelona should be approaching his situation?
Sure, he has enormous potential and everyone can see that already but let’s not forget we’re talking about a 16-year-old kid that’s never even played for Barca B before.
In fact, he would be skipping a whole level by jumping straight towards the senior team, a feat not even the great Lionel Messi did back in the day.
But there’s a reason why these levels exist in the first place – Fati needs regular football, week in, week out and what happens when the occasion gets to the 16-year-old kid or when other players are picked ahead of him?
That is bound to happen as it would be ridiculous to expect him to be a regular in the starting XI at this point already.
He can have all the talent in the world and the right mentality, which he crucially seems to have, but if the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann are sometimes struggling to get into this squad, does a kid at the beginning of his tale really stand a chance of cementing his place just like that?
This is by no means belittling his potential.
After all, we’ve already seen how devastating he can be when unleashed but it’s also unlikely that Barcelona will turn to a 16-year-old when the going gets tough.
Such a big club depending on a newly promoted and inexperienced player doesn’t really seem like a solid plan, regardless of the talent the player in question may or may not possess.
And even if he does become their ace up their sleeve, that still means that he can be counted on from the bench at best, considering the heavy competition in the Catalans’ squad.
For those reasons, if he is starved of continuity going forward because Barca rushed into their big decision, it might negatively impact his development.
This is a huge step in his career and Blaugrana have to make sure they are doing the right thing.
