African-born wonderkid Ansu Fati has been linked with a shock departure from Barcelona after he was named on the bench for the Blaugrana's UEFA Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
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According to Spanish journalist Alfredo Martinez, the winger's agent, Jorge Mendes, has warned the Catalan club that Fati could look for a move should his playing time not increase.
?Jorge Mendes has warned Barça that Ansu Fati may leave in the summer if his playing time does not improve. However, the club are calm, as the player has a contract until 2027 with a €1B release clause.— @Alfremartinezz pic.twitter.com/pj5P86nCTN
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) October 27, 2022
The 19-year-old has started just one match for Barcelona in the Champions League so far this season, although their elimination from the competition was confirmed early on Wednesday evening following Inter Milan's Group C win over Viktoria Plzen.
The Nerazzurri's victory meant Barcelona's result against Bayern would not change their fortunes, but their 3-0 defeat at the Camp Nou has done little to lift the mood in the dressing room.
Fati, who was born in Guinea-Bissau, returned from a long-term injury last season, but has failed to force himself into Xavi's perceived strongest XI, having played the majority of his minutes from the bench in this campaign.
It is claimed that his representative has been clear to the LaLiga giants that Fati's situation needs resolving, with his current lack of playing time potentially affecting his chances of going to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
After he was left out for Spain's UEFA Nations League matches in September, manager Luis Enrique admitted that he would need to see Fati playing more regularly at the Blaugrana before re-selecting him.
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Across all competitions so far, Fati has managed just 512 minutes this season, with Xavi having seemingly preferred the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha as his wide attackers since the campaign started.
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