Tottenham Hotspur close to completing sensational deal for Barcelona wonderkid, in big statement of intent: report

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou looks on during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 08, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain.
(Image credit: Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur are still looking for attacking talent to replace Harry Kane ahead of the transfer deadline, and Ange Postecoglou might just have found the perfect player.

Kane's departure for Bayern Munich has left a gaping hole in the Tottenham Hotspur squad, with Richarlison starting the opening three games of the Premier League season at centre-forward. 

Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son have started either side of the Brazilian in wide areas, but Tottenham are still lacking strength in depth. That looks likely to change in the coming days, though, with Spurs working on a deal to bring an attacking wonderkid to the club.

VIDEO: Ange Postecoglou is perfect for Tottenham Hotspur

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur are in direct contract with Barcelona over the signing of Ansu Fati on a loan deal, with the 20-year-old looking for regular first-team minutes in the 2023/24 campaign. 

However, Barcelona are stipulating that Spurs cover 100 per cent of Fati's wages during the season-long loan, with negotiations between the two clubs ongoing. Tottenham and Barca seemingly have a good relationship, with the former taking Clement Lenglet on loan last season, too. 

This season, Fati has managed just 47 minutes in the La Liga champions' opening three games, with manager Xavi only introducing the Spaniard from the bench. 

Tottenham Hotspur Ansu Fati of FC Barcelona during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona v Cadiz FC at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on August 20, 2023 in Barcelona Spain (Photo by David S.Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Fati could be joining Spurs on loan (Image credit: Getty Images)

Since making his debut at 16-years-old in 2019, Fati has unfortunately failed to live up to the extremely high expectations placed upon him. Once the hottest prospect Barcelona had produced since Lionel Messi, Fati has struggled for form in recent years.

Injuries hampered his 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, while last term he managed just 14 starts despite being fully fit for the entirety of Barcelona's triumphant La Liga season. 

Now, though, he is looking to establish himself as a first-team regular - ideally at Barcelona, though the aforementioned report suggests he is open to kickstarting his career away from the Catalonian giants before returning full of confidence.

He has plenty of time left to prove himself at Barca, too, with his current deal running for another four years. Barcelona also have the option to extend his contract for a further two years.

Transfermarkt currently values Fati at around £30m. 

Richarlison celebrates with James Maddison after the midfielder's goal for Tottenham against Bournemouth in August 2023.

Tottenham have started the Premier League season strongly (Image credit: Getty Images)

More Tottenham Hotspur stories

In FourFourTwo's Season Preview, we look at why Tottenham fans can be excited again for the future.

Spurs have been linked with a move for Chelsea misfit Romelu Lukaku this summer as a replacement for Harry Kane. Tottenham are also reportedly interested in 'the next Thierry Henry' to fill the gap left by their all-time record goalscorer, while Djed Spence has been linked with an exit this summer after making just four appearances since signing last summer.

Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.