The Best Thing about Barcelona’s Week was in Monaco | OneFootball

Barcelona endured two consecutive defeats for the first time in the 2025 calendar year, and questions about squad depth have been raised. Fortunately Marcus Rashford has hit the ground running for Barça, picking up 3 goals and 5 assists in 10 appearances so far in a start that feels close to a best-case scenario for the 27-year-old Manchester United cast-off. For as bad as the last week has been, Rashford being signed as the winger to help with depth has been a success. There is a buy-out for his contract that Deco and company will look to get lower than the $35M it’s currently at, as well as a reduction in salary, which he brought over from Manchester.

The only way that Rashford was affordable under La Liga’s strict salary limit was to get rid of Ansu Fati, the often-injured La Masia prodigy who played just 11 times for Hansi Flick last season. No goal contributions in just under 300 minutes meant that his future was always going to be away from Catalonia. The now 22-year-old struggled on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion two seasons ago, so a loan move to AS Monaco this season felt a bit like a last chance for him. Like Rashford at Barcelona, Culers are also shocked at how quickly and how well a player from the scrap heap seems to have found a new lease on life in his new home.

Set Up to Succeed

It all began upon arrival during Monaco’s preseason, when manager Adi Hütter decided to be patient with Ansu Fati’s fitness. At Barcelona it always felt like he was pushing himself back to prove something without the option to take things at a pace that might set him up for future success. Instead, Monaco prioritized getting him ready instead of rushing him straight onto the field. It likely didn’t hurt that Paul Pogba, arguably an even bigger reclamation project, got the same treatment.

Four matches into Monaco’s season, all four in Ligue 1, Ansu Fati still hadn’t made Hütter’s squad. Then it was Champions League time, and the Red and Whites finally got the chance to see him in action. A 27 minute cameo against Club Brugge resulted in the lone goal of the match, a promising sign in a 4-1 loss. The goal was his first since November of 2023.

Building On the Momentum

Three days later, Ansu Fati again appeared from the bench, but this time coming on to start the second half. A minute later and the Spaniard was back on the scoresheet. 37 minutes after that and he collected his first brace since May 28, 2023 against Mallorca. What followed was another goal in another substitute showing, this time a penalty in stoppage time of a 3-1 loss to FC Lorient.

As the calendar turned to October, Adi Hütter handed Ansu Fati his first start since May 19, 2024 with Brighton, and against Manchester City nonetheless. He may not have gotten on the scoresheet, but the 64 minutes were positive, particularly with the 2-2 final scoreline. Up to that point, Fati hadn’t really been handed the keys to castle, popping up mainly on the left wing. But against Nice over the weekend, he finally got a start as the attacking midfielder. Another brace, both from the penalty spot, followed in the 90 minute appearance, his first full match since September 21, 2023 against AEK Athens at the start of his Brighton loan.

The New Ansu Fati?

He is now the fastest player in Ligue 1 to reach 5 goals with a new club. He did it in just 126 minutes of play, also a noteworthy accomplishment. This trust in Ansu Fati from both his new club and new manager has breathed new life into his career. The challenge now will be to keep that fitness over the course of the season and keep the trust of the manager. His ball striking skills were always exceptional, he just couldn’t stay on the field. If he continues to be trusted in more central positions, it may protect him from the physical burdens put on modern wingers.

So what happens if he keeps up even some of this pace? A 20 goal season is now possible, and on his new salary with the contract extension that was stretched until 2028, the output would finally make sense with the cost. The new deal also makes it a lot easier for Monaco to go with the purchase option and get him permanently. For Barcelona, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever return and wear the Blaugrana again, but it would be vindication for the Culers that never gave up on him.