Ansu Fati could return to LaLiga in the winter transfer window

Ansu Fati's days at AS Monaco could be numbered. Coach Sébastien Pocognoli has relegated the winger, on loan from FC Barcelona, to the bench. He hasn't played since November 29th for the Principality club and has only accumulated 598 minutes of action in 14 matches this season.

Ansu had an exciting debut with Monaco in 25/26, scoring **5 goals in his first 3 appearances in Ligue 1**. However, the dismissal of Austrian Adi Hütter and the subsequent arrival of Belgian Pocognoli on the bench marked a radical change in the 23-year-old footballer's performance.

Since November 1st, the Bissau-Guinean player has only started one league match (the 4-1 defeat against Rennes), while his last offensive contribution was a brace on October 5th in the draw against Nice (2-2). In this regard, the latest information from France indicates Monaco's interest in ending the one-year loan of the Barça youth academy product.

Elche sets sights on Ansu Fati as a possible winter reinforcement

A stance that would be supported by Ansu Fati himself, as the player does not feel comfortable in France. The lack of confidence from the Monegasque coach and some muscular problems at the beginning of December would have finally convinced the Bissau-Guinean to look for a team in the winter transfer window that opens on January 2nd.

Recent rumors point to Elche as a possible destination for the Barça player, who also has no place in the Catalan squad. The signing of Marcus Rashford definitively closed the door on the Spanish international, after finishing 24/25 as the striker with the fewest minutes (298) under Hansi Flick.

The Licitano team, on the other hand, would be delighted to incorporate Ansu into their squad. Éder Sarabia's team already has **Iñaki Peña** and **Héctor Fort** in their ranks, but they do not rule out signing another forward in January to strengthen an offense that, for now, has scored 23 goals in 17 LaLiga matches

Elche has been the great revelation of the first half of the season, with 22 points that place them, for now, in ninth position in the standings. The 'franjiverdes' are the only newly promoted team that has managed to stay away from the relegation spots, doubling the output of Oviedo and Levante, who are at the bottom of the table with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Ansu Fati could emulate Vitor Roque in the winter market

Barça, for now, remains attentive to Ansu Fati's future, with uncertainty regarding the decision that Monaco's board might make with the player from Bissau. The Principality team have reportedly already ruled out the €12 million purchase option that the Catalans included in the one-season loan deal and are also open to the possibility of parting ways with the forward in January.

If he ends up leaving for Elche or another club, Ansu would be repeating what happened with Vitor Roque in the last winter transfer window. The Brazilian was on loan at Betis, but opted to return to his country with Palmeiras mid-season.

The scenario with 'Tigrinho', however, was very different, as the South American forward was indeed a starter at Betis and ended up being transferred to Palmeiras in a deal that allowed Barcelona to recover its initial investment.

Fati, on the other hand, would go from being loaned to Monaco to negotiating a loan with another team, a scenario that complicates Barça's options of cashing in on the player from Bissau in 2026. The Catalans renewed him until 2028 to facilitate his move to the Principality and they prioritize getting rid of his salary (around 10 million gross per year) definitively next summer.

However, the 23-year-old footballer's sluggish performance in France reduces the list of teams interested in Ansu's transfer. In England, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, and Everton were interested in him at the beginning of the season after his promising Ligue 1 debut, but the rumors cooled down in recent weeks