Report – The reason behind Barcelona forward’s €11 million departure being delayed | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have still not officially confirmed Ansu Fati’s permanent departure to AS Monaco following a moderately successful loan spell.

Although it was widely reported that Monaco would activate their €11 million purchase option and that an agreement with the forward had already been reached, the deal has yet to be finalised.

Why the delay?

According to Mundo Deportivo, the delay is due to Barcelona’s desire to retain some control over Ansu’s future, as they still view him as a valuable long-term asset.

Following the arrival of Anthony Gordon, Ansu accepted that his future at Barcelona was effectively over.

No way back for Ansu. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Hansi Flick does not see him as part of his plans, despite the player remaining under contract until 2028, and the club encouraged him to accept Monaco’s proposal after spending the past season there on loan.

Monaco have until 30 June to trigger the purchase clause. However, negotiations have involved more than simply agreeing terms on Ansu’s sizeable salary.

Barcelona are reluctant to completely lose control of the La Masia graduate and do not want him sold for a relatively modest fee only for him to be transferred again later, potentially to one of their direct rivals.

For that reason, club executives are pushing to include either a buyback clause or a percentage of any future sale.

Barcelona want to retain some control over Ansu’s future. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The objective is to maintain some influence over Ansu’s career path and avoid criticism if he eventually fulfils the enormous potential that once made him one of football’s brightest young talents.

There may be another motive

The report further states that the delay may also reflect another strategy: waiting to see whether a higher offer arrives from elsewhere.

After all, Ansu has attracted interest from Sevilla in recent days. Therefore, as things stand, there is still no final resolution, and the situation remains open to several possible outcomes.

The former Barça No. 10’s departure is expected to be just one of several moves needed to balance the books and facilitate the ambitious deals sporting director Deco is pursuing this summer.

So, ideally, the Blaugrana will be hoping to reach a resolution on the matter as soon as possible.