Lamine Yamal Ansu Fati Barcelona 2023-24 GFXGetty

Ansu Fati's last chance? Barcelona starlet must prove himself quickly or he'll be sold to make room for wonderkid Lamine Yamal

Last March, Ansu Fati's dad, Bori, got on the phone with Spanish radio show COPE to complain about his son's relationship with the club. His grievances were all centred around one singular issue: in his opinion, his son wasn't playing enough. Consequently, Bori had advised his son to leave the club - and speculated that even Real Madrid could be a possible destination.

His outburst dragged Barcelona into yet another public relations saga about their oft-injured forward. Ansu Fati was once the next 'New Messi', a presumptive fixture in the Barca lineup for years to come. He scored more goals in his breakout season than Messi managed in first full campaign in Catalunya. He broke a handful of records set by the Argentine. Throw in the fact that Fati was another La Masia graduate, right when Messi seemed to be on the decline, and the excitement was palpable.

However, a series of injuries, and ensuing inconsistency on the pitch, have seen Fati fail to live up to the promise of his youth. And now, he finds himself at a critical juncture. Fati has recaptured some of his best form since his father's outbursts, and a solid pre-season suggests that he still has a lot to give.

But he might not get the chance. Another, arguably better, teenager has emerged and with the Blaugrana needing to raise money to fund more summer transfer activity, Xavi himself admitted that Fati could be on his way out.

So, Fati effectively has two weeks to save his Barcelona career, and prove that there's still a player in there, one that was once hailed as having the potential to be the best in the world.

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