Barcelona forward Ansu Fati appears set to complete a permanent departure from the club where he developed as a player, with AS Monaco his most likely destination.
The 23-year-old has agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 side on a four-year contract, a deal that will see him accept a reduction in his current wages.
According to L’Equipe, the transfer is now just one step away from being finalised, with negotiations between Monaco and Barcelona progressing at speed.
Agent Jorge Mendes is expected to travel to Barcelona in the coming hours to wrap up the deal on a formal basis.
Fati himself has given the green light to the move from Brazil, where the Spanish international is currently on holiday.
Monaco held an €11 million buy option as part of his loan agreement this season, though reports suggest the Ligue 1 club are working to negotiate that figure down with Barcelona.
Fati inherited Lionel Messi’s iconic number 10 shirt at Barcelona, but a succession of serious injuries derailed what had been a breathtaking start to his senior career.
Across 123 appearances for the Catalan club, he registered 29 goals and 10 assists, yet fitness problems meant he never once completed a full 90 minutes in a Barcelona shirt.
The forward spent loan spells at Brighton and Hove Albion and then Monaco in recent seasons, searching for the form and rhythm that long-term injuries had stripped from him.
His time at Monaco this past season showed encouraging signs, with Fati scoring 12 times in 30 appearances and averaging a goal every 110 minutes for the Monegasque club.
Monaco last summer built a squad around reclamation projects, also bringing Paul Pogba back into professional football following his doping ban.
The move looks set to draw a definitive line under Fati’s difficult years at Barcelona, giving the young forward a fresh start in France on a long-term basis.
