At just 21 years of age, Ansu Fati should have plenty of his career ahead of him, but he has become something of an afterthought at Barcelona. After a disappointing season at Brighton this year though, Fati has declared that he intends to be there next year.
Fati made 30 appearances for Brighton, scoring four times and giving one assist, and struggled to make an impact after an injury in November, which forced him to miss three months. There is some debate over his future, with some linking him with a move on loan to Sevilla, his first home. He is set on being a success at Barcelona though.
“The same as always. Since I arrived here when I was 10 years old, my dream is to succeed at Barca. These last few years have not been easy, but it is part of football. I am 21 years old and I have to continue growing, but I have the hope of being able to return all the love I receive from the cules. Every day on the street I meet people who encourage me and continue to love me here. That gives me motivation and drives me to continue fighting for this club and give my best.”
New manager Hansi Flick is reportedly keen to see him in preseason before making a call on his future, but the last two seasons have provided relatively little opportunity for enthusiasm. Fati explained to MD that he was fully fit though.
“Right now I’m at 100%. I am working hard because I feel that you always have room for improvement. I spend many hours in the gym. There are people who believe that Ansu is always injured and in the end I went two years without getting injured. I had a small injury and people focus on that. Last year I played the full season and didn’t miss a game. Not having the continuity that one wants makes it difficult, but I was prepared and fought until the last moment.”
Fati will no doubt have an uphill battle to prove he can do the job for Barcelona in such a short space of time, and with Flick likely to be under pressure from early on, the chances of him getting the continuity he craves seem slim. With Ferran Torres, Joao Felix and Raphinha all trying to compete with him for minutes, and plenty to prove for the former two, Fati will have to shine early on.
