Barcelona superstar Ansu Fati reveals he turned down offers from abroad to commit his future to the Catalan giants.
The Spain international, who turns 19 at the end of this month, signed a deal to remain at Camp Nou until 2027 with a release clause worth €1billion (£846m) inserted.
Fati burst onto the scene in 2019, signing his first ever professional contract with the blaugrana and then becoming the youngest player to ever score for the club.
In December of the same year, he became the youngest scorer in Champions League history and interest from abroad soon became very serious.
Manchester United were linked with a move in the summer of 2020, whilst Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain apparently kept tabs on the forward.
Yet Fati only had dreams to remain a culer, despite the club’s mounting debt and on-pitch struggles.
“Yes, I’ve had offers from abroad,” he admitted. “But my dream was to be here.
“From the first day I told [agent] Jorge Mendes that my first option was always to stay at Barca. He understood it perfectly and I am very happy that the club has trusted me.”
Ronald Koeman has endured a tough stint at Barca boss, with the loss of Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez seriously blunting the attack.
The future remains bright though, with Fati leading a new generation of La Masia graduates also features Pedri and Gavi.
Such is the confidence of the five-time European champions in the Spaniard, they have awarded him the prestigious No.10 shirt previously held by Messi before his free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
And Fati insists the pressure is not on him to succeed the Argentine legend.
“It’s true that the No 10 jersey has been worn by Leo [Messi] and many players but I’m calm,” said Fati of his new number. “I know what I can bring to this team.
“For me it’s not a pressure. No one is going to be like Leo, no one is going to be like [former captains Carles] Puyol or Xavi [Hernandez]. No one is going to equal what Leo has done.
“I’m going to follow my own journey. I still haven’t done anything. I hope I can have a career like they have had.
“Any player could have worn the No 10. I’m grateful that the captains offered me the number and luckily, I got it. It’s an extra motivation for me. I don’t look at the number but focus on what I can do on the pitch to help the team.”
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