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Xavi Hernandez speaks about Barcelona youngster, Ansu Fati, and the reports linking him away from the club.
Following reports that surfaced over the past week linking Ansu Fati with a move away from Barcelona, manager Xavi Hernandez has come out to declare his full confidence in him, tagging him as non-transferrable.
Ansu Fati's promise was so great that when Lionel Messi left, the Guinea Bissau-born striker was given the legendary number 10 jersey; however, a recurring injury has shattered his confidence and severely limited his involvement, leading to reports linking him to a move away from Barcelona.
His manager, Xavi, was visibly displeased when asked about the links, making it clear that the player was not for sale.
I have extraordinary confidence in Ansu - Xavi
In the pre-game press conference before Barcelona's clash against Villarreal, Xavi was asked about recent stories tying Ansu to moves outside of Barcelona, and Xavi, who was visibly irritated, replied stating that Ansu was non-transferable.
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The Spanish manager was puzzled by the timing of the reports, as they surfaced just after the transfer window when a move was more unlikely, but he was sure to establish that the 20-year-old is not for sale.
He also made sure to state that he had enormous confidence in Ansu and that the reports have not come from Barcelona's environment, as they had no plans to sell him.
"For me it is non-transferable. For me there are no transferable players right now," Xavi said, per Marca.
"The market is over. I don't understand that they are talking about leaving at this point. I don't understand what is being done talking about this now if we are playing the season. And less from the Barcelona environment.
“There has been no talk of Ansu throughout January and now they are talking about him."
"Ansu has to be important; he is a fundamental player. I have extraordinary confidence in him, and it will depend on his performance so that he participates more or less.
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“He is a total hope for us. I have blind confidence in him. He has to be a fundamental piece of the present and future. He has to be calm and patient."
Ansu Fati lost his prominence
Ansu Fati was off to a bright start when he broke out in 2020, becoming Barcelona's youngest goalscorer in the Champions League after his late strike knocked Inter Milan out of the competition.
However, the season after, Ansu Fati picked up a career-threatening injury in a game against Real Betis that ruled him out of action for nearly a year.
Since returning from the long spell, Ansu Fati has relapsed on five separate occasions. The young forward has since seen himself fall down the pecking order at Barcelona, starting only seven league games so far this season.
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