Barcelona concerned over loanee’s situation amid friction between player and manager | OneFootball

What was meant to be a season of redemption for Barcelona star Ansu Fati, on loan at AS Monaco, has suddenly taken a strange turn.

After a fine start with the Ligue 1 outfit, scoring six goals in five matches, the La Masia attacking prodigy seemed to have rediscovered both his confidence and his sharpness. But a coaching change has completely altered his trajectory.

Concerns grow at Barcelona

Indeed, there appear to be signs of friction between Ansu and new Monaco manager Sebastien Pocognoli, who replaced Adi Hutter recently.

The situation has raised concerns at Barcelona, within Ansu’s entourage, and even inside Monaco, reports SPORT, with all parties hoping things can be repaired after his promising resurgence earlier in the season.

Former manager Hutter had personally convinced Ansu to join the club and had mapped out a step-by-step plan in collaboration with Monaco’s medical staff to help the Barcelona loanee revive his career.

Things were starting to click for the 23-year-old with Hutter as he looked fit, confident, and decisive again.

Things changing under Pocognoli

Problems between Sebastien Pocognoli and Ansu Fati. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

However, Hutter was suddenly dismissed, with the decision surprising the players, and replaced with Pocognoli.

The 38-year-old manager was not totally convinced about Ansu from the start and even cast public doubt on him upon arrival, saying:

“All I know is that, when he’s fit, he has the ability to change games. I want to see him play 30 consecutive matches before drawing any conclusions.”

The relationship between the two reportedly broke down during the match vs Toulouse, when Pocognoli substituted Ansu with the game still open. The forward was visibly frustrated and showed his displeasure as he left the pitch, a reaction that did not sit well with the coach.

Since then, Ansu has been left out of the squad or benched, and his absence from the latest Champions League call-up only deepened doubts of an internal conflict.

Officially, Monaco maintain that Ansu’s absence is due to illness, but the general sense is that there is more to it.

Barcelona had hoped Monaco would activate their €11 million purchase option next year, which now looks increasingly uncertain, leading to concerns at the club.