AS Monaco have completed the permanent signing of Barcelona forward Ansu Fati on a four-year deal.Fati, 23, spent last season on loan at the Ligue 1 club, scoring 12 times in 30 appearances to finish as Monaco’s top scorer for the campaign. Monaco have opted to trigger an €11million buy option which was agreed a year ago as part of Fati’s loan move.The winger burst onto the scene with Barcelona as a teenager in the 2019-20 season, and went on to make over 100 appearances for the Catalan giants – largely from the bench.Ahead of the 2021–22 season, Fati inherited Barcelona’s No 10 shirt from Lionel Messi but he struggled to make an impact during an injury-hit campaign.He spent the 2023-24 campaign in the Premier League on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion but was restricted to just three starts in the top flight, partly due to a serious calf problem.‘The best possible outcome’AnalysisThis is not how fans dreamed with Ansu Fati’s Barca career ending, especially back in 2021, but it is the best possible outcome for all parties.Fati gets a permanent move to a club where he has been very productive on the pitch –he scored 11 goals in 25 Ligue 1 games last season – and, most importantly, appears happy again. The 23-year-old failed to convince Hansi Flick that he should have a place in the Barca coach’s plans, or to show he was properly equipped to fit into his high-pressing philosophy. So a solution had to be found.Given his solid goal return last term, Monaco has decided to trigger the €11million buy option on his loan deal. Some will think Barca could have got more money for a player in his early twenties with high potential. But the reality is that he barely had a future at the club. His significant wages made a lucrative transfer fee almost impossible and there was a determination to allow a move to a place where an academy graduate could enjoy himself.This is also a positive move for Barcelona’s finances. Besides the €11m profit, his departure will reduce the club’s salaries. Before joining Monaco on loan, Fati extended his Barca contract until 2028 to spread his salary over more seasons. After leaving permanently, this will be a reduction to the budgeted wage bill.Long-term injuries, erratic recovery processes, and an unfair amount of expectation — especially when he was asked to take on the number 10 shirt after Lionel Messi left Barcelona — have hindered Ansu Fati’s progress. However, he has shown that he has the potential to have a successful football career, and this is his opportunity to do so.Jun 30, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms