Manchester United are interested in Ansu Fati but the Red Devils will not meet Barcelona’s financial demands for the Spain international.
Ahead of Thursday’s trip to Brighton, a statistic emerged on social media which elicited a rather mixed reaction from United supporters. Admiration and frustration, in equal measure.
Only four teams in Europe’s major leagues had scored more than Man United’s 98 goals in all competitions. A tally which looks all the more impressive when you consider that Erik ten Hag has had to operate with a semi-fit Anthony Martial and a shot-shy Wout Weghorst since Christmas, one hand tied firmly behind his back.
If the Red Devils can score nearly a century of goals without an elite ‘number nine’, imagine what could have been achieved this term with a Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen at Old Trafford?
Manchester United need more goals
But you only need look at the success of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City in recent seasons to realise the importance of spreading goals around too. And that is another area of the United squad that could do with some work.
Antony’s eight and Jadon Sancho’s six are respectable tallies, but no more than that.
Ansu Fati, despite his injury issues, is producing a goals-per-game record at Barcelona that puts both Antony and Sancho to shame. Seven in 13 starts this term. There was a further six in just five starts in 2021/22.
An outstanding, ruthless finisher when given the opportunity, there is a reason why Barcelona handed Fati the iconic Lionel Messi ‘number ten’ shirt when the Argentine legend departed for Paris Saint-Germain.
Ansu Fati on Ten Hag’s radar
A lack of regular starts under Xavi at the Camp Nou of late had agent Jorge Mendes touching down in Catalonia for talks with Fati’s family earlier in the week. Mendes, Sport say, has attempted to discover whether there would be Premier League club’s willing to take a chance on a 20-year-old who, when fit, remains one of the most exciting young attackers in world football.
Manchester United, Sport say, are the ‘only’ English outfit who had shown any sort of serious interest. However, Erik ten Hag’s side appear unwilling to meet Barcelona’s reported £60 million price-tag.
Quite right too. There is a reason why the injury-prone Fati has started only 19 games since the beginning of last term. And, for all his potential, this would be a £60 million gamble United cannot really afford. Especially with so many other areas of the squad in dire need of investment.
“Do Barcelona run the risk of selling him?,” former Man United forward and now-Spanish football expert Terry Gibson muses, via El Tel and Jon’s La Liga Weekly podcast. “It could come back to bite them. His form has been exceptional in the past, the same level as Pedri, Gavi and (Alejandro) Balde. Fati was on that level.
“If they can, they should avoid selling him and have a plan for him to become a superstar at Barcelona. I would hope that Barcelona keep him. But their financial situation dictates what they have to do.”
Man United have spent much of the Ten Hag era fawning after another Barca ace; Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman is likely to return to the gossip columns too, Thursday’s Brighton defeat once again highlighting the lack of press-resistant midfielders in United’s squad.
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