A week ago Ansu Fati made an express visit to Barcelona. He had lunch with his family, met his agents and also his friend, fellow Barcelona player Alejandro Balde. He then returned to Brighton, the city where he has resided since September when Barcelona transferred him to the team coached by De Zerbi without a purchase option. The goal was for the striker to develop his football in the Premier League and gain confidence after growing up, excelling and falling at Barça due to injuries and the management of the always dangerous expectations. Ansu Fati, still very young (21 years old), has felt this pressure. And his return to Barça is, nowadays, improbable.
After a season in the Premier League in which he had to struggle with another muscle injury, his intention is not to rest this summer and to continue training. He knows that it is very difficult for him to go to the European Championship. He does have some hope in the Olympics. But his priority remains to regain confidence and, for this reason, he has been dealing with a coach who instructs NBA players for a few months now.
A lot of hope was placed on him. After firing Messi in 2021, the club gave him number 10. They saw him as the heir. At that time he was 18 years old and had already become the youngest footballer to score for Barça in La Liga and at Camp Nou. He was also the earliest to score in Champions League history at 17 years and 40 days. It was renewed until 2027. He was the second, after Pedri, to have a clause of 1,000 million.
Then came the injuries and in two seasons he could barely play 25 games. It all started on November 7, 2020 when he suffered a torn medial meniscus in his left knee against Betis. He had to go through the operating room up to four times. He braked dry and missed almost a year.
He returned through the big gate against Levante on September 26, 2021. Entering the 80th minute and scoring. Ronald Koeman celebrated very much. But the joy was short-lived. Two months later, while Barça were closing in on Xavi’s landing on the bench with Sergi Barjuan taking charge of the team on an interim basis, the youngster tore the biceps femoris in his left leg against Celta. Two more months off.
When he reappeared in front of the Athletic Club in San Mamés, half an hour was enough for him to relapse from the same injury. It was all tears of grief. Xavi hugged him. And there were summits at Camp Nou to decide how to help him. Despite the advice of Barça’s medical services, which, with the arrival of Xavi, reinstated Dr. Ricard Pruna as responsible, Fati opted for conservative treatment. I didn’t want any more operating rooms. In November came the World Cup in Qatar. With Luis Enrique he barely played 44 minutes. 22 against Japan in the group stage and a further 22 in extra time against Morocco in the Round of 16. With Barça, he finished the season with 10 goals in 53 games. The same as Raphinha, although Fati scored them in 1,824 minutes compared to the 2,924 that the Brazilian needed. But he wasn’t a starter.
Barça spoke with him. That 18-year-old boy who dazzled with his smile and drive, played with fear. And they agreed that it was best to give it up. Everything indicated that he would end up at Tottenham but Brighton came across him at the last minute with a De Zerbi that convinced him. “You will start and in December you will fly”, he told him. Fati started by offering quality minutes. He scored two goals in the Premier League and two more in the Europa League. He sat out Nov. 30 in his third straight start with another injury. This time he didn’t cry. He began talking to the club doctor with the assurance of someone who has been through this before. He missed 13 games and returned to play in February but the train had already passed. Frustrated, he even saw De Zerbi leave him on the stand against Brenford. “He must improve physically. What he does is not enough. The expectations with him are very high”, said the coach. Always the expectations. This summer Fati will return to Barcelona. It is not ruled out that he will do the preseason. His is a special case because of who he is. His environment, led by Jorge Mendes, will recommend him to go out on loan again to a team that is not from the League.
