Barcelona set to free up €17.2 million in wages from former fan favourite’s imminent exit | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been one of the more active clubs from a transfer perspective, moving early to secure the signature of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United.

However, it looks like the club are not just focused on signings this summer, with sales also being given importance.

One player who looks set to finalise his departure imminently is Ansu Fati, with AS Monaco set to activate his €11 million buy option.

A huge sale in the context of the summer

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are set to save a significant chunk of wages from their books once they manage to offload Fati.

The €11 million transfer fee itself is not jaw-dropping, but the report outlines that the club will free up around €17.2 million in wages with his exit.

Ansu will join AS Monaco permanently. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Just before his loan spell, Fati modified his contract at Barcelona, to distribute the €26 million in wages that he was set to earn across three years until 2028, instead of two, meaning he would earn €8.6 million per year.

With another high earner in Robert Lewandowski also departing the club this summer, this gives Barcelona a huge boost as they plan for the upcoming season.

Barcelona look to be firmly back in the 1:1 rule ahead of the summer transfer window, operating with the kind of financial freedom that has been missing for a few years now.

A loan spell that helped Fati

Once touted to be the next superstar at the Spotify Camp Nou, Fati’s career was interrupted by a series of injuries.

Eventually, he fell down the pecking order at the club and was loaned out to Monaco at the beginning of the 2025/26 season.

Ansu says goodbye to Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Fati had a decent time at the French club despite not always being a starter, finishing with 11 league goals.

A fan favourite at Camp Nou, selling Fati was always going to hurt. That said, there was no realistic chance of him having a future at Barça, and it made sense for both the club and the player to make a clean break this summer.

At 23, Fati, in all likelihood, has his best years as a footballer ahead of him. He will be looking to build on his first campaign at Monaco and take his game to the next level.

Meanwhile, Barcelona will be hoping that getting his wages off the books can help them put their foot on the accelerator as they look to make more reinforcements for Hansi Flick ahead of the new season.