From the next Messi to a fading star: Ansu Fati's descent into the depths of football

In 2019, Ansu Fati emerged as a prolific talent after a remarkable season with FC Barcelona. The 16-year-old forward was fighting his way into the starting eleven until a series of recurring injuries halted his momentum. The player from La Masía was labeled as the 'new Messi' by the local press, but faded into obscurity. What happened to Ansu Fati?

He caused such a roar in La Liga, that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) made a massive effort to secure his services for the Spanish national team. He was granted Spanish nationality that same year.

The Spanish forward scored his first goal on August 31, 2019, in a match against Osasuna, making him the youngest Barcelona goalscorer at the time. A week later he would start at Camp Nou against Valencia, scoring a goal and giving an assist.

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He also became the youngest footballer in the history of FC Barcelona to debut in a Champions League fixture. When he turned 17, he already had two goals and one assist under his belt, in just seven games.

His great performances were garnering him plenty of love from the fans. He was starting to make his way into the first team when a nasty injury derailed everything. He suffered a serious injury to his left meniscus that saw him off the pitch for a long time.

A total of 305 days of absence, missing a total of 64 games for both FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

He missed the rest of the 2020-2021 season, and he did not return until September 2021, with talks of a new contract on the horizon.

It would not take long, however, for him to be injured again, which kept him out for another two months. His irregular form on and off the pitch was hampering his improvement throughout the season.

During the 2022-2023 season, Ansu Fati was enjoying some of his best football. He played a total of 51 games in which he scored 10 goals. The Barcelona forward became the team's leading scorer, and also gave 4 assists.

Despite his great form, FC Barcelona loaned him out to Brighton & Hove Albion so he could further develop in a new environment.

Ansu Fati had high hopes for his Premier League debut, but in reality, the Spanish forward has struggled to adapt to his new team. To make matters worse, he kept getting injured.

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Fati missed 14 games with Brighton in 69 days due to a muscle problem. Until April 2024, he only played 16 games in the Premier League (16% of the minutes), scoring 2 goals (24 games and 4 goals among all competitions).

He also lacks the trust form his coach Roberto De Zerbi. According to the Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, the Italian coach assured the Spanish-Guinean striker "must give something more".

"He is one of the best talents in the world at his age, but he needs to improve his performances, improve his physical condition and improve his mentality, because to play in the Premier League you have to be stronger mentally and physically. When he shows us that he is ready, he can play with us," explained De Zerbi.

Furthermore, Brighton has expressed no interest in further extending his loan. According to the newspaper Sport, he will have to return to FC Barcelona - with whom he has a contract until 2027.

FC Barcelona now must contemplate Ansu Fati's return, which according to Sport, they intend to sell the Spanish forward because he doesn't fit into their plans. There is a new rising star at FC Barcelona and that is Lamine Yamal.

In just a few years, Ansu Fati has gone from being the 'new Messi' to becoming a problem for Barça. The Barcelona forward has experienced a major price devaluation. According to Transfermarkt, his price is fixed at 30 million euros.

According to Sport, there are a couple of options for Ansu Fati from both the Premier League and La Liga. Wolverhampton is interested in acquiring his services, but Sevilla and Valencia are also showing interest.

With all this, Ansu Fati's future seems complicated and inevitably uncertain, although it seems certain that he will have to continue searching for his best form. Let us know what you think!

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