MADRID (Reuters) - Spain coach Robert Moreno has confirmed he is considering joining 16-year-old Barcelona player Anso Fati after the teenager snatched the limelight and made a spectacular 5-2 win over Valencia in the Primera Liga on Saturday.
The young star has already become the youngest player in La Liga history to score a goal and make another in one match, and the youngest player in the history of Barcelona to score a goal in an official game La Liga.
Vati scored his first goal against Osasuna in the last round of La Liga, followed by a goal scored yesterday against Valencia, but not only did he manipulate the defense of Valencia thanks to his speed and skill and passed the ball to Frenke de Jong to add the second goal, while receiving a warm greeting from the fans during his replacement.
Moreno, who was born in Guinea-Bissau but moved to Spain at the age of six, was among those present at the stadium and admitted that the Football Federation was finalizing procedures for his possible participation with the national team.
"I am not involved in this process, but the federation is trying to bring Inso Fati to Spain, then the decision will be in the hands of the player," Moreno said.
"It is always working for Spain to have the best players," he said. "It is very exciting for Barcelona to have a player who has grown up in the ranks of the Lamasia academy and performs so well, but it must ensure that these things are not affected."
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde praised his teenage player for the rapid emergence of his star during the transition from junior teams to the first team.
"It is never easy to adapt to becoming a Barcelona player very quickly, but he is very focused and performs well," Valverde said. "It is not normal for any player to score from the first attempt and make a goal from the second attempt and then get close to the third.
"We want him to know the level at which he plays, continue to develop and continue to work so that he can contribute more to the team."
Sergio Busquets, himself a success story for the Barcelona Academy, tried to encourage his colleague Fati to be humble.
"When you are young, you are not aware of all the things around you and may be affected by the praise you receive," said Barcelona and Spain midfielder Busquets. "But we all know how difficult it is to achieve success and play consistently at the level."
"He has an amazing talent and he plays with great concentration. I hope this is the start of a very long and beautiful trip for him here."