Reason why Barcelona outcast snubbed Chelsea for Ligue 1 as move nears completion | OneFootball

Following a disappointing campaign on a personal level, Ansu Fati is all set to leave FC Barcelona in the coming days.

The 22-year-old La Masia forward is bound for AS Monaco, having given the transfer his green light before taking off on vacation to New York.

Barça and Monaco are working on the final details of the deal which will be a loan with a purchase option – the amount of which needs to be agreed upon before the operation is closed.

How Monaco convinced Ansu

It must be noted that Ansu Fati also had an approach from Premier League heavy spenders Chelsea but opted to sign for AS Monaco instead.

Mundo Deportivo now provides an insight into why the Barcelona misfit chose the Ligue 1 outfit over the English club.

As per the report, the Principality outfit expressed complete confidence in Ansu, to the point that their head coach, Adi Hutter, personally spoke with him.

Headed to Monaco. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Austrian manager assured him that he would get consistent playing time – even saying he would start him in ten straight games regardless of goals. This, along with a conversation with the club CEO Thiago Scuro, ultimately convinced Ansu to accept the move.

Another aspect that convinced Ansu was that Monaco would offer him regular playing time in the UEFA Champions League next season.

Chelsea made contact, but the overcrowded attacking lineup at Stamford Bridge raised doubts for Ansu – especially after witnessing what happened with former Barcelona loanee Joao Felix.

“Look what happened to Joao Felix,” was a repeated reference from Ansu’s camp, explaining the decision to turn down the London club.

Other teams also showed interest, but Ansu did not appear to be their top target. In most cases, continuity and playing time were not guaranteed, which led him to prioritise Monaco – where both the sporting project and trust shown by the club made the difference.