At FC Barcelona, it has become increasingly evident that the club plans to part ways with Ansu Fati in the upcoming summer transfer window. The main aim behind this decision is to generate a financial return estimated between €15 and €20 million.
However, both club president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco recognize the difficulty of attracting such an offer for a player who has featured only sparingly throughout the season. Because of this, Barcelona is keeping alternative options open, including the possibility of sending Fati out on loan or even allowing him to leave on a free transfer if necessary.
Offloading Fati would not only ease the financial strain caused by his high wages but would also free up the club’s prestigious number 10 jersey — a shirt number filled with rich history at Barcelona.
Since Lionel Messi’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain, Fati has carried the weight of that symbolic number, which has also been worn by icons like Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, and Michael Laudrup. The pressure tied to the shirt has heavily burdened Fati’s career and stalled his expected progress.
Among the potential candidates to inherit the famous number 10 is Lamine Yamal, a rising star within Barcelona’s first team. At just 17 years old, Yamal has rapidly built a reputation as one of the brightest young talents in world football, with many already tipping him for future individual awards, including the Ballon d’Or. Naturally, this has led to discussions about him taking over the number 10 shirt.
However, according to reports from the Spanish outlet El Nacional, newly appointed Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is reluctant to add such pressure on the youngster.
Flick believes that Yamal’s development should continue at a steady and careful pace and that assigning him the iconic number might place unnecessary expectations on his shoulders too soon. As a result, Flick wants Yamal to retain his current number 19 for the time being.
Flick has also advised Laporta and Deco to resist marketing-driven pressure from Nike, who are reportedly keen on seeing Yamal wear the number 10 due to its significant commercial value. Instead, the German manager has put forward the name of Dani Olmo as a more suitable option.
Olmo, a key figure for the Spanish national team, had an impressive season despite injury setbacks and finished as top scorer at the European Championship. Now, the club faces a critical decision: follow Flick’s vision or give in to Nike’s marketing ambitions.
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