FC Barcelona Considers Offloading First Team Star In January, Reports SPORT

FC Barcelona is considering offloading a first team star in January according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.

Ansu Fati was the Lamine Yamal of the late 2010s, smashing a number of youngest goal scoring records on the cusp of his 17th birthday after being given a chance by then head coach Ernesto Valverde.

Given Lionel Messi's number 10 shirt when the club legend left for Paris Saint-Germain, while also penning a contract extension until 2027, Fati saw his progress halted by a series of serious injuries.

Last season, he decided to head out on loan to Brighton for a temporary spell where niggles once again kept him sidelined.

This summer, however, he managed to convince Xavi Hernandez's successor Hansi Flick of his worth before cruelly injuring his foot and being made to miss a seven-wins-from-seven start to 2024/2025 which has the Catalans top of La Liga ahead of bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Fati has recently returned to action for Barca, but his 28 minutes played in all competitions communicates that he is way down the pecking order behind even the likes of Pau Victor.

With this in mind, SPORT reports that Barca believes the "best solution" for the former Spain international would be to find a team where he can enjoy more prominence in the upcoming winter transfer window that opens in January - but only if Barca can enter the 1:1 rule under Financial Fair Play limits and sign a replacement.

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The newspaper adds that Barca will continue to support its La Masia product Ansu, but that a meeting with his agent Jorge Mendes is already planned in order to "find a good solution for the striker".

There are apparently a number of clubs in Spain that would be more than willing to take the Guinea-born attacker out on loan for the rest of the season, though ultimately it will be Ansu and his camp that have the final word on any move elsewhere.

In a campaign where injuries have piled up in other areas of the pitch, however, Flick might want to keep Fati around even if he is not one of his go-to selection choices as thins currently stand.