Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has laughed off suggestions that young striker Ansu Fati could join Real Madrid.
Fati, 20, has been linked with a move away in the summer, with reports that his manager does not have full faith in his abilities.
Before Real Madrid’s match against Almeria, Carlo Ancelotti was asked about Fate and gave an intriguing answer.
“Well, what can I say. Ansu Fati is a young man who will have a great future”, said Ancelotti.
In the press conference ahead of Barcelona’s clash with Cadiz, Xavi was asked if he could imagine Fati signing for Real Madrid the day after Ancelotti’s comments.
“This is a joke, right? I was already very open. Debates have been created that have no meaning. It is very important for us and will continue to be”.
“He is the legacy of the club and I think I have been very clear about that,” Xavi said at the press conference.
While Real Madrid once signed Luis Figo from Barcelona, with Florentino Perez in charge, this is a very different situation, and apart from one pundit suggesting it as a personal preference, it has not been reported as a possibility.
It would be a huge surprise if anything were to happen, not least because Fati is likely to face a similar situation at the Santiago Bernabeu to what he does at Barcelona, in terms of playing time.