‘He needs to keep working’… Hansi Flick offers honest assessment on the situation of 22-year-old Barcelona player | OneFootball

Hansi Flick has been many things during his first year as Barcelona manager, but one quality that stands out is his no-nonsense approach. The German coach comes across as direct and straightforward whenever he speaks.

The German coach, despite being given a limited squad to work with and a financial situation where the club could not make reinforcements that they would have wanted, has still done an excellent job with the Barcelona squad.

Hansi Flick has managed to improve so many players in the Barcelona squad but it is not just pertaining to the starters. Even players like Eric Garcia who may not have featured much under the German coach look so much better when given a chance.

Thus, it comes as quite a surprise that the German coach has still not managed to revive the faltering career of a player as talented as Ansu Fati. Flick has left him out of both his matchday squads for the Spanish Super Cup and there are questions about his future at the club.

Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images

When asked about what the future looks like for the 22-year-old forward and what he needs to do to convince him, here is what Hansi Flick had to say as quoted by SPORT. Flick first revealed how Ansu’s first injury this season derailed his progress. He said:

“Ansu came back very well in the summer. He had done very professional work, but then his first injury came, and he had to stop. So far, he hasn’t been able to demonstrate all the football and quality he has, but he needs to keep working. He’s a Barça player and part of our squad, so we’ll keep working with him.”

Flick was then asked about a possible exit for the player but he remained non-committal and claimed that he is still a Barcelona player. He said:

“What’s important is that he feels like a player in the squad and continues working to earn his place. We are very happy with him, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

Flick then put the onus on the player to step up and show that he deserved a place in the squad. The German coach said:

“I must be honest with the players, and I’ve talked with Ansu about his situation, just as I’ve done with all the players. Everything will depend on him and what he can show us in the future.”

It is such a shame to see just how far Ansu Fati’s career has fallen off. The La Masia graduate was expected to become a huge part of Barcelona’s future but currently, he looks more out than in. Let’s wait and see if the youngster can do anything going forward to convince Hansi Flick and only time will tell how it plays out.