FC Barcelona has received a small prize in the winter market lottery, where the Spanish LaLiga has shown a purchasing power lower than the German second division.
But rules are rules and LaLiga prefers austerity rather than attracting the world's football stars to our fields. It even causes problems for Barça to register a player who was already registered and for whom they paid 65 million.
Deco can't be happy: He hasn't achieved his goal
Barça will end up receiving 13 million from Manchester City for the transfer of Nico González from Porto.
But despite that good news, FC Barcelona's technical department can't be happy. The number one goal was to place Ansu Fati on the market and it hasn't been possible.
New failure for Deco and his team. Laporta was very interested in removing his salary from the wage bill, but he will continue paying him 15 million gross annually until 2027, when his contract ends.
Ansu Fati has closed himself off. Not even the contacts of his agent, Jorge Mendes, have helped to unblock the situation. He doesn't want to leave.
His case is a difficult one. Offers aren't coming because Ansu Fati disappeared from the spotlight four years ago. Injuries disrupted his career and he hasn't been the same since.
His signing generates many doubts and some clubs have been willing to give it a try, but always as a loan.
14 million reasons to stay at Barça
Meanwhile, the 14 million he earns in salary deter interested parties. Sevilla was the first to inquire about him, but relations with Barcelona aren't good and the last thing Laporta would want is to do a favor for the Seville club.
Then the possibility of Betis arose, but their financial situation didn't allow them to cover his salary. They intended for Barça to pay it in full. Impossible.
A loan offer came from Türkiye's Galatasaray, but Ansu Fati showed no interest. Nor was he convinced by the low-profile Arab offer that came at the last minute.
Ansu Fati prefers to continue in the comfort zone he has in Barcelona. And he has reached a point where he doesn't care if it's professionally beneficial for him to stay at Barça. He knows he has 14 million annually guaranteed and isn't willing to move from Camp Nou.
Hansi Flick has been honest with him
Hansi Flick has explained it to him repeatedly. "You're not going to play, and what you need are minutes elsewhere to come back," he told him. But he already knows that story from his last loan to Brighton, which ended in failure.
Flick is very surprised. He's the first player he knows who doesn't care about playing or not playing.
Meanwhile, Laporta is fuming. Because freeing up the 14 million from his salary would give his financial policy some breathing room. He also doesn't want substitutes in the squad who earn as if they were starters.
Ansu Fati has decided to stay at Barça despite Flick having explained the truth of what's in store for him: a calvary.