Ansu Fati made one of the most surprising but exciting choices in the last summer transfer window as he left FC Barcelona for Brighton on a season-long loan. Brighton has rarely been in the spotlight with several big Premier League clubs competing for trophies and glory in England.
However, Brighton has been impressive in their approach to the game since the appointment of Roberto de Zerbi as the head coach. The Brighton head coach was also responsible for Fati selecting the Premier League side as his loan destination.
De Zerbi’s role in his loan move
Fati spoke to SPORT recently in an interview where he touched upon different aspects of his move to the Premier League. Regarding the role of De Zerbi in his move, he commented:
“I talked to Roberto. He had a lot of confidence in me and told me everything he thought of me. For me, he was key to my arrival. He’s the main reason I’m here. What he told me, how he sees me as a player, and what I can improve…”
While only the eager followers of the Premier League might have been expected to know about Brighton, Fati claimed that he regularly followed this side even before his move:
“I knew that Brighton was a club that had grown in recent seasons and had progressed very well, even qualifying for the Europa League this season. I really like the Premier League, and this was one of the clubs I followed the most.”
Change of position and objectives for the season
Fati mainly operated on the wing at Barcelona but saw himself being deployed in the number 10 role in his latest appearance for Brighton in the Europa League. Regarding this change, Fati said: “It’s the coach’s decision, but I can play in any of the forward positions.”
Fati was adamant not to leave Barcelona this summer, and rejected a few offers before choosing to go to Brighton. Now, he wants to take full advantage of this loan to prove that he still has the ingredients to become a great player:
“I want to have a great season, fight for the team, try to qualify for Europe as they did last year, and if we can make it to the Champions League, it would be even better.”
Fati’s first start for Brighton did not end in the best of ways for him, as his team lost to AEK Athens with a 3-2 scoreline. Joao Pedro scored two penalties for Fati’s side, but the Spaniard will be looking to open his own scoring account in the Premier League as soon as this weekend.
