Ansu Fati's selling price is a problem for Barcelona

Barça president Joan Laporta and director of football Mateu Alemany travelled to Porto on Tuesday to hold a meeting and more with agent Jorge Mendes, who is making a big push for both the first team and the Blaugrana's grassroots players. 

A bit of everything was discussed, but above all Ansu Fati, a player who is in the spotlight because of the few minutes he is getting, and to start looking for solutions in case everything remains the same at the end of the season. 

The 'Ansu issue' is very sensitive because of the importance of the player, the 'presence' he has among the fans and the conviction that he can become a very important star if he recovers the spark that made the Camp Nou fall in love with him since his debut.

There are a few new developments. Barça are reluctant to play an active role in a possible sale of the player, but they will look the other way if Mendes probes the market to see what price they could get for the player in this market.

Barça are giving Barça a free hand in this, while waiting for a final decision to be taken, which will always have to be led by the player. And Ansu wants to stay at Barça, convinced that he will end up taking his chances to succeed as he did in the months following his debut. 

The main handicap in this whole affair is the price for which Barça might be willing to let the player leave in the summer transfer window. And here there are doubts and few certainties. It is clear that Barça still consider him a world top player and would not be willing to let him go unless an astronomical proposal came in off-market. 

But Mendes' view is different, as he has been on the move in recent weeks and knows what some clubs would be willing to pay if the doors were opened to a transfer. The difference between one position and the other is very different and consensus seems difficult to reach. The selling price of Ansu is the big problem, at the moment, for the player to leave Barça.

In football, things change every week and the two sides will continue to hold meetings to assess the boy's situation at all times. We will have to see if the striker gains weight in the team or continues to add minutes in dribs and drabs. 

From then on, the relevant decisions will be taken, bearing in mind that Barça needs a major sale and that Ansu will have the final say in everything. He wants to play more, but leaving Barça is hard to do, even if you are on the bench.