While a crisis is brewing within the club, FC Barcelona is still focused on rebuilding in the post-Messi era. The latest reports have revealed that Ansu Fati's agent, Jorge Mendes, flew into the Catalan capital on Thursday to begin contract talks with club management.

Fati came up the ranks from Barcelona's famed La Masia academy. As such, he will likely be one of the few players who will be signing a new deal without a salary reduction. Being a product of the youth academy meant that his salary had been quite low prior to his breakthrough into the first team.

Last season, Fati came into his own especially during the time when Lionel Messi was slightly out of sorts at the start of the campaign. It may be remembered that Messi had sent that now infamous burofax last summer, telling the cub that he wanted to leave. Of course, that move did not materialise due to the Argentine's massive release clause, and he was basically forced to get back in action on the pitch.

Messi did eventually come around, but the opening months of the 2020-21 season gave Fati the opportunity to shine. Now that Messi has departed the club, Fati has taken over his number 10 shirt, and is being seen as the face of the club's future.

According to Marca, another meeting is set to take place between Mendes and club executives in the coming days, and an agreement is expected to be reached very quickly.

The player has received interest elsewhere, but he is determined to stay at his boyhood club. Thanks to his low starting salary, Barcelona will not have much of a problem offering a reasonable new deal for the coming years.

Unfortunately, the 18-year-old suffered a long term injury that has seen him sidelined for the past year. Nevertheless, he is expected to be back in action in the coming weeks, and his age should allow him to be able to fully recover.

Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati became the youngest player to score in the Champions League when he netted Barcelona's winner away to Inter AFP / Isabella BONOTTO
Barcelona FC Lionel Messi