Brighton close in on sensational swoop for Barcelona star Ansu Fati

After a dramatic evening in which transfer rumours swirled, Brighton appear to be closing in on the sensational loan signing of Barcelona superstar Ansu Fati.

The deal received the “Here we go” treatment from Fabrizio Romano last night. We all know the unwritten rule that when Romano posts about a player leaving Brighton, he knows nothing and is a fraud. But when it is to do with an incoming transfer… well, here we go!

Fati appeared to be heading to Spurs until the Albion boldly joined the race. After speaking to Roberto De Zerbi and being shown the huge number of young players whose careers have taken off at the Amex, Fati has since indicated his preference is to spend a year at Brighton rather than the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The loan is said to include no option to buy, which is hardly a surprise given Fati is only 20-years-old and still considered one of the hottest young properties in world football.

More interesting is that Brighton are rumoured to be covering at least 70 percent of the Barcelona wages of Ansu Fati.

He signed his current deal with Barca in October 2021 (including a €1 billion release clause) and a not particularly thorough Google search suggests he earns anywhere between £199,000 and £230,000 per week.

If the Albion are paying 70 percent – even at the lower end of that range – it equates to £140,000 per week, totally smashing the current wage structure at the club.

But if he can rediscover the form that saw him burst onto the scene at Camp Nou in such spectacular style four years ago, he will be worth every penny.

Fati made his Barcelona debut in 2019 at the age of 16 years and 298 days, becoming the second-youngest player in the club’s history.

Six days later and he notched his first goal in a 2-2 draw away at Osasuna. That wrote more history with Fati now the youngest scorer ever for Barca and the third-youngest scorer in the history of La Liga.

Fast forward another month and he became the youngest player to ever to score and assist in the same La Liga match. He put Barca 1-0 up against Valencia inside of two minutes, followed by setting up Frenkie de Jong five minutes later.

The records kept coming for Fati in the 2019-20 season. Youngest player to play for Barcelona in the Champions League. Youngest scorer in the history of the competition. Youngest player to bag a La Liga brace. Youngest scorer for the Spanish national team.

But then came the injuries. In November 2020, Fati suffered a meniscus tear – the same injury Julio Enciso has just had surgery on. Initially ruled out for four months, it would be nine months before Fati played again.

Prior to his return, he was handed the famous number 10 jersey by Barcelona following Lionel Messi moving to Paris Saint-Germain.

Over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, Fati was restricted to just 17 La Liga appearances. 2022-23 brought more action with 51 appearances in all competitions and 10 goals.

There can be no doubt, however, that Fati has lost his way a little after all his injury problems. The challenge now for Brighton is helping him get back to somewhere near his best. To be honest, if they can unlock even 50 percent of his ability then it is a worthwhile signing.

Fati has spent most of his career playing on the left, which would seem to put him in direct competition with Kauro Mitoma. Where Roberto De Zerbi opts to deploy Fati will therefore be fascinating; might a reinvention as a number 10 to replace Julio Enciso be on the cards?

Messi himself underwent a similar transformation from a winger to a number 10 or false nine at a similar age to what Fati is now. Imagine for a second if De Zerbi and Brighton become the club who turn the long-apparent heir to Messi into his full blown successor? Mind blowing.

There is of course still plenty of time for another club (Chelsea) to come and hijack the Ansu Fati to Brighton deal. It almost seems too good to be true, even with outlets like talkSPORT reporting the loan and Romano giving it the green light.

But for the Albion to even be in the conversation shows how far we have come as a club, even in the past two years. It is a far cry from Paddy McCourt being the big-name capture in the final throes of a summer transfer window.