The two wingers’ futures have been linked since Rashford tried to force through his loan move from Manchester United to Barcelona exactly a year ago. At the time, the Catalan club’s finances did not allow it to recruit the Englishman without a departure.
The player expected to leave was Fati, but the former Spain international refused and preferred to fight for his place. Rashford’s transfer therefore had to be postponed until the summer.
After struggling to establish himself in the team during the second half of last season, Fati accepted his departure and joined Monaco with great fanfare during the previous transfer window, paving the way for Rashford’s arrival at FC Barcelona.
His loan to Monaco started well, however, with the 23-year-old proving decisive on several occasions at the start of the season. However, the situation is radically different today, following the dismissal of coach Adi Hütter at the beginning of October.
Fati’s commitment questioned
Hütter was replaced by Sébastien Pocognoli, a change that marked a turning point for Fati. He struggled to get along with the new coach, and his performances suffered.
The winger has yet to be involved in a goal under the new coach, and his relationship with the Belgian has not been helped by his unavailability throughout December due to a hamstring injury.
The Team confirms the existence of a major problem with Fati at Monac
Last week, journalist Romain Molina revealed that tensions were emerging in Monaco. He claimed that the Principality club no longer wanted Fati, which left doubt over the exercise of the purchase option of 12 million euros and, therefore, over the possibility for Barcelona to permanently recruit Rashford.
Today, L’Équipe confirms the existence of a major problem with Fati in Monaco. His daily involvement is being questioned internally, and even his teammates are reportedly starting to get annoyed with the 23-year-old.
Central defender Mohammed Salisu vented his frustration by strongly criticizing his teammates for their lack of defensive effort during Monaco’s disappointing 2-2 draw against Paphos in the Champions League in November. According to some sources, this outing was directly aimed at Fati.
As a result, serious questions hover over Fati’s future at the dawn of the new year. If he fails to turn things around in the second half of the season, it is very likely that he will be sent back to Barcelona.
