Barcelona transfer news: 22-year-old leaves on loan as buy option, shirt number revealed

Ligue 1 giants Monaco have confirmed the arrival of Ansu Fati on an initial loan deal from Barcelona, with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the campaign.

The La Masia graduate follows Paul Pogba to the Stade Louis II after the midfielder's marquee free transfer was announced by the Principality side over the weekend.

Fati will seek another shot at reviving his career away from Barcelona following a forgettable 2024-25 season, in which he played just 11 times for his boyhood club in all competitions and failed to provide a single goal or assist.

The 22-year-old's path to the first team in Catalonia is blocked by Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Ferran Torres, and the club are also working to bring Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams to Camp Nou before the window shuts.

As a result, a move away for Fati was seen as inevitable, and Monaco have now confirmed that the 22-year-old will spend the 2025-26 season on loan in France with the option for a permanent deal.

Monaco did not reveal how much the buy option is worth, but it is believed that the Monegasques can keep hold of Fati for a modest fee of €11m (£9.5m) at the end of the season.

Monaco reveal Fati shirt number as Barcelona loan deal confirmed

From Barcelona to Monaco ✈️

Ansu Fati is Monégasque ❤️? pic.twitter.com/2LqTlGq3ay

— AS Monaco EN ?? (@AS_Monaco_EN) July 1, 2025

The Principality outfit also confirmed that Fati would be taking the 31 shirt at the club, the same number he took during his breakthrough Barca season in 2019-20 and loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023-24.

The '31' had been vacant at Monaco since the exit of German striker Kevin Volland in 2024, while Romain Faivre - now of Bournemouth - briefly sported the same shirt during his brief stint at Monaco.

Fati's first loan spell away from Barcelona was an underwhelming one, as the Spaniard only provided four goals and one assist in 27 games while on the books at Brighton two seasons ago.

The attacker had enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career the prior campaign, banking seven goals and four assists in 36 La Liga games in 2022-23, but injuries have ultimately stunted his development.

Fati was once regarded as the heir to the Lionel Messi throne at Barcelona after netting seven goals in the 2019-20 top-flight season, the same year he became the youngest scorer in the history of the Champions League.

Fati's contract at Barcelona runs until the summer of 2028, but thanks to Monaco's modest buy option, the La Masia graduate's Camp Nou chapter may already be closed.

Written by
Ben Knapton