One of Barcelona's young stars has revealed why he chose to reject Real Madrid in favour of signing with the Blaugrana.
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When the opportunity for Spanish star Ansu Fati to join either Real or Barca came, the 20-year-old admitted that the chance to play in the famed La Masia academy was too good to turn down.
Considered to be one of the best young talents in world football, the Guinea-Bissau-born forward was scouted by the Spanish giants from an early age while still at Sevilla's academy, and he has now revealed that he chose the Catalonian side because they had better facilities to cater to the needs of young players.
"Before I signed for Barca, I had a trial at Real Madrid," Fati told France Football.
"At that time, the club didn't have a residence to accommodate its young players. So, with my father, we decided that Barca was the best option, with La Masia."
It proved to be some good business for Barca as, despite some persistent injuries, Fati has illustrated his quality whenever he as donned the five-time European champions' jersey. In the 78 matches the attacker has played for the LaLiga table-toppers since making his senior debut in 2019, he has scored 22 goals and assisted nine further strikes.
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Such is the club's faith in Fati, who is already a full Spain international, that he inherited the No. 10 jersey once worn by Barca icon Lionel Messi, and is tied down to a deal that ends only in 2027, one that includes a mammoth €1 billion (R18 billion) release clause.
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