Brighton & Hove Albion have confirmed the signing of Ansu Fati on loan from Barcelona for the remainder of the season.
The 20-year-old has been linked with a number of Europe’s top clubs since breaking onto the scene with Barcelona as a 16-year-old.
Brighton has scored a significant coup by bringing in a player who only missed two La Liga games last season as Barcelona won the league for the first time in four years.
“This is a fantastic offer for all of us. “I am confident that Ansu will help us reach a new goal, and that we will be able to help him return to the level he deserves,” manager Roberto De Zerbi stated.
“We are delighted to welcome Ansu to the club,” said technical director David Weir. Despite his youth, he is one of the world’s most highly ranked young players and comes with an outstanding amount of experience both domestically and in European competition.
“This season is the most important in the club’s history, and we’re thrilled that a player of Ansu’s caliber will be a part of it.”
“We’ll give him time to integrate into the squad and get used to working with Roberto, but we’re excited to see him in a Brighton shirt.”
Fati had a great breakthrough season in 2019-20 after progressing through the legendary Barcelona academy, becoming the club’s and Champions League’s youngest goalscorer.
Barcelona rewarded Fati with a new contract that included a €1 billion (£857 million) release clause, amid claims that the Spanish giants believed the teenager unsellable despite interest from clubs all over Europe.
Despite still appearing on a regular basis, Fati has fallen down the pecking order at Barcelona under Xavi due to a combination of injuries and the form of others.
The Spanish champions have now agreed to let him join Brighton on loan for the remainder of the season, when he will look to assist the club build on their best-ever top-flight finish last season.
According to the agreement, there is no option or duty to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
Fati is Brighton’s eighth acquisition of the summer, joining Joao Pedro, Carlos Baleba, Bart Verbruggen, Igor, Adrian Mazilu, Mahmoud Dahoud, and James Milner.
The nine-time Spain international might make his debut for the Seagulls in Saturday’s late Premier League match against Newcastle United at the Amex Stadium.
De Zerbi’s men are now sixth in the early Premier League rankings, having won two and lost one of their first three games. They will also start preparing for their first Europa League campaign, having been put in a group with Ajax, Marseille, and AEK Athens.
