BARCELONA are battling to keep hold of the heir to Lionel Messi’s No10 shirt amid reports they have offered him a contract extension.
Ansu Fati inherited the iconic jersey when Messi headed to Paris this summer and has told his agent Jorge Mendes that he wants to stay at Barca.
The 18-year-old’s deal at the Nou Camp runs until the end of the season and reports in Spain say Barca have already offered an extension.
Football director Mateu Alemany is set to meet Mendes to finalise the deal once the agent returns from holiday in Qatar.
But there are fears the proposal could unravel due to the shocking state of the Catalan giants’ finances.
They are saddled with a crippling debt of around £1 billion and have reportedly been set a salary cap of just £85m – £553m less than rivals Real Madrid.
That could leave Barca unable to afford any long-term deal for the highly-rated Fati.
Mendes is understood to be talking to club officials about a short-term extension with potential for a review later when money flows once again.
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The Blaugrana lost talisman Messi in the summer transfer window after they were unable to offer him a new deal within salary cap limits.
The former skipper was believed to have been close to agreeing an extension before financial restrictions saw him move to cash-rich Paris Saint-Germain.
Fati has claimed he feels ‘no pressure’ stepping into the void left by Messi.
The Spain forward scored just nine minutes into his return after ten months out injured as the fitful Catalans beat Levante 3-0 on Sunday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
