Besiktas president reveals how close they came to signing Barcelona winger – ‘The player was excited’ | OneFootball

As revealed by Besiktas president Serdal Adalı, Barcelona forward Ansu Fati was on the verge of leaving the club during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old, who has struggled for fitness this season, was in talks to sign for the Turkish side. It has come to light that negotiations had reached an advanced stage, and even an agreement had been reached with Barça for a loan transfer.

Adalı revealed that the move was all but finalised. “Ansu Fati was on our agenda, as were Patrick Berg and Samuel Dahl,” he said as quoted by AS.

“After the Europa League match against Twente, my intention was to bring Fati to Istanbul. We had even reached an agreement with Barcelona for his transfer.”

As it turns out, things took an unexpected turn. Besiktas were eliminated from the Europa League, and the setback led to the club withdrawing from the deal.

“On the night of the elimination, they informed us that he wouldn’t be coming,” Adalı added.

“The player was very excited; he had already contacted his father. But our European elimination ruined the signings.”

Exit plans already underway for the summer

Ansu Fati will leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

It is becoming increasingly clear that Ansu does not feature in Hansi Flick’s plans for the future.

The winger, once tipped to be Lionel Messi’s long-term successor, has failed to earn the German coach’s trust due to a series of injuries and limited impact on the pitch.

Although his contract runs until 2027, Ansu is already planning his exit from Barcelona.

The player has asked his agent, Jorge Mendes, to find him a new club for the upcoming summer transfer window.

A permanent departure now looks more likely than ever, with the player and the club both ready to move on.