A €30m Barcelona star is nearing a move to Nottingham Forest as the club edges closer to sealing the high-profile transfer.
The Premier League surprise outfit, punching above their weight in mid-table security, sees this as a statement signing to bolster their attacking options amid a spirited survival push and Europa League aspirations.
For Barcelona, still grappling with squad bloat and FFP pressures despite Hansi Flick’s title charge, the offer represents a rare chance to offload a salary burden while recouping value on a once-prodigious talent now starved of minutes.
That star is Ansu Fati, the 23-year-old La Masia graduate whose meteoric rise – becoming Barca’s youngest-ever Champions League scorer at 17 – has given way to injury-plagued loans at Brighton and now Monaco, as reported by Fichajes.
Currently on a season-long stint in Ligue 1 with an €11m buy option, Fati has flickered with promise (four goals in limited Brighton action) but failed to reclaim his explosiveness, managing just sporadic starts under pressure.
Forest’s ‘amazing offer’ – rumoured at €25-30m upfront plus performance add-ons and wage coverage – tempts with guaranteed Premier League exposure, where his pace and left-wing flair could thrive alongside Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The deal’s allure for Fati lies in regular football, escaping the Barcelona bench where Lamine Yamal’s supernova status has eclipsed him.
Deco views this as pragmatic housekeeping: funds could fuel pursuits like Rayo Vallecano’s Nobel Mendy or offset Julian Alvarez’s €200m dream price tag.
Nottingham’s Saudi-backed ambition mirrors their Chris Wood masterstroke, betting Fati can rediscover his 2019-20 spark (29 Barca goals total).
Yet risks abound – Fati’s injury history (foot, thigh woes) and adaptation struggles post-Brighton. Nottingham Forest must navigate Monaco’s loan terms, but sources indicate advanced talks.
For Ansu, this crossroads could revive his career or cement journeyman status; for Barcelona, it’s salary relief amid Casado’s Saudi whispers and Vlahović’s free chase.
As deadline pressure builds, Nottingham Forest edges closer to a Catalan coup.
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