Official: Barcelona forward departs for Ligue 1 club | OneFootball

It is finally official. Ansu Fati has left FC Barcelona to sign for AS Monaco on a season-long loan deal with a purchase option, it has been confirmed.

The 22-year-old attacker does so after extending his contract with Barça by another year until 2028.

“FC Barcelona and first team player Ansu Fati have reached an agreement to extend his contract until June 30, 2028,” the club statement read.

“Likewise, FC Barcelona and AS Monaco have reached an agreement for the loan of the striker until June 30, 2026.”

The agreement is understood to contain a buy option worth €11 million for the Ligue 1 giants to make his transfer permanent.

Having spent the 2023/24 season on loan, Ansu returned to Barça last summer in the hope of carving out a place in Hansi Flick’s plans.

However, constant fitness problems, lack of form and stiff competition for places meant that the 22-year-old forward was unable to garner much playing time even as the Blaugrana went on to win the domestic treble.

Having refused to leave the club in January, Ansu accepted that the best way forward for him was to move on and had his sights set on a move to Monaco, thanks to manager Adi Hutter’s faith in him.

Negotiations between the two clubs took some time, as agreements over the salary distribution, future purchase option and buyback clause were not easily achieved.

But, everything was finalised last week and Ansu flew to Monaco to complete his medical, following which an official announcement has now arrived.

The La Masia gem, once regarded as the future of Barcelona, will hope to get his career back on track in Ligue 1.

As for Barça, Ansu’s departure comes as a boost in terms of Financial Fair Play as getting his wages off the books frees up a sizeable chunk of salary space.