Barcelona have forged a reputation for having one of, if not the best academy in world soccer. La Masia has produced countless talents throughout history, and it continues to provide the first team with promising youngsters.
The club’s policy of promoting prospects to the senior squad has been extremely successful this century, and Xavi Hernandez‘s return to Camp Nou as manager in November 2021 helped Barca recover this principle.
The Spaniard has given room to the likes of Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Lamine Yamal, among other academy graduates. However, not all of them are stories of success, as there’s a Barca gem whose worth has been on decline in the last few years.
The downfall in Ansu Fati’s market value
When Ansu Fati made his debut with Barcelona at 16, it felt like they had a generational talent in front of their eyes. The winger immediately established himself in the senior roster, and his market value was through the roof.
According to Transfermarkt, Fati’s worth reached €80 million in October 2020, when he was 17. Flash-forward to June 2023, his value at 20 years old is €35 million.
Sadly, his fantastic progress was hampered by injuries, taking a toll on his market value. Even when he recovered, Ansu struggled to play like his true self in Spain, and didn’t get to recover his spot in the starting eleven.
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Why did Ansu Fati leave Barcelona?
Ansu Fati joined Brighton on a season-long loan hoping to find more playing time as Xavi couldn’t guarantee him that at Barcelona. At 20, he still has plenty of time to get his career back on track.
