Ansu Fati has suggested that he has no plans to leave Barcelona in the near future.
Having burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old, Fati soon became established as a first-team regular at Camp Nou, naturally being regarded as the heir to the throne of Lionel Messi.
However, injuries have disrupted the progress of the winger, who is no longer regarded as an automatic first choice under Xavi.
Despite playing 85 minutes of Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Cadiz on Sunday evening, Fati has been restricted to 10 starts and 23 substitute outings during 2022-23.
As a result of dropping down the pecking order, there is now ongoing speculation regarding his long-term future with the Catalan giants at a time when the club still need to significantly boost their financial situation.
© Reuters
The FFP regulations dictate that the sale of an academy graduate can go down in the books as pure profit, and the sale of Fati would undoubtedly hand club officials a huge boost when it comes to re-establishing some balance.
Nevertheless, the 20-year-old has indicated that he has no desire to explore a transfer away from Barcelona, despite his lack of regular game time.
Speaking to the media at the end of an edition of Sports Solidarity Stories, Fati said: "I'm under contract with Barcelona until June 2027 and I hope to stay here for many more years."
That pledge of commitment follows recent comments from Xavi, who has indicated that he believes that the Spain international will only improve as the years progress.
© Reuters
Talking about recent speculation last week, Xavi said: "Ansu Fati is non-transferable, like everyone in the squad right now. He's a very important player. I have tremendous hope.
"We expect a lot from him, I have blind confidence in him. I have it with everyone. We have been shaping the squad based on what I have wanted."
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a summer approach for Fati with agent Jorge Mendes said to have made contact with top European clubs to establish if there is any interest.
There had been a suggestion that Fati would cost in the region of £90m, although that figure looks irrelevant as it stands with neither player nor manager wishing to see a departure.
Darren Plant
