The end for Ansu Fati at Barcelona? Jorge Mendes reveals details of four-hour meeting with Barca top brass & gives update on Spain international's future

Super agent Jorge Mendes, who represents out-of-favour forward Ansu Fati and Lamine Yamal, held a four-hour meeting with Barcelona's top officials in Lisbon on Tuesday evening. However, Mendes confirmed that Fati was not a main topic of discussion and offered little concrete insight into the young Spain international's future.

After spending the 2023-24 season on loan at Brighton, Fati returned to Barcelona and spent pre-season under new manager Hansi Flick. A revival of Fati's Barcelona career seemed promising after the former Bayern coach publicly backed the La Masia graduate following his cameo off the bench in a Champions League encounter against Monaco in September.

"I have congratulated Ansu on his return. I have a lot of appreciation for him and he is going to do very well," he said. "I have spoken to him and he sees himself more in the left wing position but he has great qualities to play in the centre as well. I saw him very different in July and brilliant in training. Now he needs time and we have to look after him.”

The glimpses shown by Fati soon faded away, however, as a muscle injury halted his momentum. He has played just 186 minutes spread across eight games, with his final appearance coming on January 4, against Barbastro in the third round of the Copa del Rey. Since then, the Catalans have played 14 games - Fati was not named in the squad for nine of those matches.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Mendes tellingly explained how Fati needs to be out on the pitch more regularly at this point in his career. He said: "We haven't talked about Ansu Fati, but he's a player who has shown his quality many times and who now needs to play."

Instead, it appears the main focus of discussions with Laporta centred around Lamine Yamal's future, with Mendes reassuring that "he's going to renew".

The Barcelona No.10 has been named in the squad for the trip to Lisbon, where they will face Benfica in the first leg of a Champions League Round-of-16 tie on Wednesday night. It remains to be seen whether he will earn any playing time, with his future undoubtedly under the microscope.