Barcelona head coach Xavi refused to offer any guarantees over the future of Ansu Fati when questioned on the Spain international during his press conference on Sunday.
Fati, 21, joined Brighton & Hove Albion on loan from Barcelona last summer, and he has made 25 appearances for the Seagulls this season, scoring four goals and registering one assist in the process.
The forward is due to return to Camp Nou at the end of the campaign, and there has been speculation surrounding his future, with Barcelona thought to be open to a permanent sale.
Xavi said that Fati's chances of making the squad for 2024-25 will "depend on the end of the season", with the Catalan outfit's financial issues meaning that it will again be a tricky transfer market to navigate.
"Don't ask me more about planning. It will depend on the end of the season and the situation we are in," the Barcelona manager told reporters on Sunday afternoon.
© Reuters
Fati is due to return to Barcelona this summer
Fati came through the youth system at Barcelona, making his first-team debut in August 2019, and he has represented the club on 112 occasions, scoring 29 goals and registering 10 assists in the process.
Injuries harmed his early progress, though, and he has also had fitness problems at Brighton this season, spending a lengthy period on the sidelines with a calf issue.
Fati has recently been back to fitness, although he has been an unused substitute in his loan club's last four Premier League matches against Manchester City, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
The forward has netted twice in the Premier League this season, while he also registered two goals in six outings in the Europa League.
© Reuters
Xavi focusing on end of season rather than transfers
Xavi was in no mood to discuss the club's transfer situation on Sunday, with the Barcelona head coach simply focusing on Monday's La Liga clash with Real Sociedad.
Blaugrana are currently third in the La Liga table, two points behind third-placed Girona, who have played a game more.
"I tell the players that it's about us and now the goal is to finish second. I understand that there is talk of departures and transfers but there is no one transferable right now because we are focused on tomorrow's game," he added.
"It would be a setback not to achieve it (second position), it is a vital match to recover this second place that is vital for us."
Robert Lewandowski has been heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona of late, but the striker's agent has insisted that his client will not be on the move during the summer transfer window.
