Ansu enrages Lewandowski: Barcelona wonderkid told to 'wake up' amid transfer rumours

Stuart Telford

• 24 Feb 2023 22:26 GMT
• 3 min read

Ansu Fati cost Robert Lewandowski an equalising goal as Barcelona were dumped out of the Europa League by Manchester United on Thursday.

Barca and Man Utd - Champions League final opponents as recently as 2011 - went head-to-head on the Europa League knock-out round play-offs on Thursday, with United winning 2-1 to prevail 4-3 on aggregate.

Lewandowski had opened the scoring in the second leg at Old Trafford and felt he could have had another inside the final 10 minutes when Ferran Torres picked him out in the box, but Ansu leapt in front of him and scuppered his attempted header.

READ: Lewandowski triggers bonus payment as Barcelona's budget has €14m hole blown in it

Lewandowski was visibly annoyed, speaking first to Ferran and then one of the club captain's Jordi Alba to express his frustration, and apparently the conversations continued into the dressing room.

Lewandowski confronted Ansu

"In fact, as AS has learned, the Poland international reproached Ansu for his action," report the Spanish sports daily. "It was well-mannered and without acrimony, but Lewandowski made him see it was the second time in recent weeks that he has denied him a clear goal in the area.

"He urged him to be more attentive and to curb his desire to score at all costs because it can hurt the team, as on this occasion. Fati apologised, saying he hadn't seen Lewandowski and believed he was in a better position, whilst acknowledging his effort was tame."

READ: Fat chance: Barca must replace Ansu in Messi's iconic No.10 jersey

Ansu's awareness and decision-making is a worry. The youngster wears the famous No.10 previously donned by Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona, but as previously reported by FootballTransfers the jersey has fallen off the shelves of Barca's official club shop - and the club could struggle to shift the player himself too.

That is something they might looks to do next summer with La Liga asking them to balance their books to the tune of €200 million ahead of next season. Man Utd are among those credited with an interest in Ansu, but pleased as they will have been with his actions on Thursday, they won't have been impressed.