Transfer Talk: Fati fighting for his Barca life as Arsenal circle

Ansu Fati goes into the new LaLiga season with his Barcelona future very much up in the air. 

The forward has been subject of transfer speculation all summer, with bids reportedly being turned down from multiple Premier League clubs. 

Yet the Catalan giants seem to be open to selling the 20-year-old before the window closes, if the price is right.

Ahead of Barcelona's opening league game against Getafe on Sunday, we take a closer look his situation. 

Arsenal bid

It has been suggested that Wolves had a bid of £25million turned down for Fati at the start of the summer transfer window. 

And rumours have now emerged that Arsenal made an offer worth £43m for the winger as they look to strengthen their title bid for 2023-24.

Tottenham and West Ham have also been linked with Fati, while there has been continued speculation regarding a move to Paris Saint-Germain. 

Cashing in on the Spain international would make some sense for Barcelona as he came through their youth system — meaning his sale would represent pure profit. 

When questioned on Fati's future after the 4-2 pre-season friendly win against Spurs, Barca manager Xavi seemed open to the idea.

He said: "Ansu? We'll see. Until August 31, we can't say anything. 

"It all depends on Financial Fair Play for us. And we have to see with Ferran Torres and Raphinha — there is a lot of competition up front." 

Ousmane Dembele is on the verge of joining PSG and it would seem the financially-challenged Catalans are considering letting another forward go as they look to reshape their squad. 

Fit and firing

Barcelona's precarious financial position makes the sale of Fati a strong possibility and it is easy to see why potential suitors are queuing up. 

When he made his Barca debut at the age of 16, the La Masia product was hailed as the natural successor to club legend Lionel Messi. 

But a succession of serious injuries stunted Fati's progress and he made just 10 appearances in all competitions in 2020-21, with 15 the following season.  

Last term finally saw him appear in 51 games, score 10 goals and assist four as he finally enjoyed an injury-free campaign. 

With Fati having managed to remain fit, it is natural that other clubs are looking to steal him away and unleash his undoubted potential.

Yet of those 51 appearances, only 14 were starts, with 37 coming from the bench as Xavi cautiously nursed the left-sided attacker back to fitness. 

Fati struggled to establish himself in a team fighting for the title at a time when his every game carried the pressure of trying to prove he was worthy of a place in the side. 

Friendly goals

Fati has come off the bench in Barcelona's two most recent friendlies against AC Milan and Tottenham, helping them to victory with crucial goals. 

He is still fighting hard for a place and with his contract not expiring until 2027, there is every chance he could remain at Barcelona for another season.

Fati is still young enough to take that opportunity but at some stage he may need to explore other options to fulfil his potential.