Ansu Fati: Brighton's Promising Path to Success with Roberto De Zerbi's Alluring Call

The Brighton success story encompasses several key elements: exceptional club building, adept management of change, and astute leadership. Notably, their recent recruitment efforts in markets spanning from South America to the Far East have been widely appreciated.

However, the loan signing of Ansu Fati marks a departure from their usual approach. Unlike previous acquisitions, Fati is not a hidden talent waiting to be discovered. Since the age of 16, he has been highly regarded as a future global superstar, having achieved the distinction of being Barcelona's youngest player in 80 years and their youngest-ever scorer.

His path to Brighton did not come from obscurity, but from La Masia, the renowned academy in the sport. The excitement surrounding him began shortly after his remarkable debut in August 2019 and quickly grew uncontrollable.

"It's extraordinary," remarked former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde. "The hype is somewhat exaggerated. It's not ordinary for his first touch to result in a goal. It's not ordinary for his second touch to be an assist, and his third nearly finds the top corner. Eventually, things will settle down."

Valverde expressed the importance of managing expectations and safeguarding the player. Sergio Busquets' words from the past now hold a significant meaning. "We must stand by him as we anticipate difficult times," he emphasized. And those challenging times did arrive.

Fati encountered injury setbacks even before his debut on the first team, facing a leg fracture that jeopardized his development during his early teenage years. Subsequently, his left knee became a recurring issue, resulting in four surgeries since the initial injury in November 2020.

The lowest point occurred early last year when he left the field crying. Xavi expressed the desire to help him mentally and provide him with love during this challenging time. He emphasized the need for his recovery and proposed plans to achieve it.

To some extent, the plan was successful. Fati rejoined Barcelona and played a role in their championship victory last season, participating in 36 matches. However, there were murmurs suggesting that he hadn't quite reached the potential he had shown before his injuries. This partially explains why he is being loaned out, as he currently remains on the outskirts of the team.

However, the reason for Brighton being selected as the preferred destination, beating out Tottenham and Sevilla, remains unclear. This serves as a testament to the remarkable transformation that this English south coast club has undergone under the leadership of Roberto De Zerbi.

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Brighton's tactical approach in world football is now considered one of the most interesting. Pep Guardiola has praised their tactics, which align with the beautiful game just like Barcelona, a club renowned for it.

This is crucial for Fati, as he discussed with Bojan, a player who also faced the pressure of being labeled the next Lionel Messi. Fati, who now holds the record for being Barcelona's youngest scorer, highlighted the challenges that La Masia graduates face.

It is awkward to find a suitable environment elsewhere.

"That is one of the problems," Bojan told We.

Being a young player, the club focuses on developing your skills to play for the first team of Barcelona, rather than just leading the lifestyle of a football player. In my opinion, it is the finest academy in the world. I strongly believe in their mindset and philosophy. However, let's face the truth, how many players actually get to play in the first team?

Fati and Bojan were fortunate enough to make it, but the transition to another club can be quite challenging, especially in terms of style. "Once you leave Barcelona, there are only a limited number of clubs that possess the same level of quality and mentality. It's a whole new ball game," he explained.

The young players at Barcelona are ill-prepared to play for teams that prioritize defensive efforts, physicality, and running statistics over ball possession. This presents a significant challenge for them when it comes to adapting to a different style of play outside of the Barcelona setting.

Fati is not expected to encounter such an issue at Brighton. Contrary to what Barcelona supporters might believe, there are more similarities than anticipated. Last season, Barcelona had 64.8 percent possession in LaLiga, while Brighton boasts a possession rate of 62.7 percent since De Zerbi joined the club. Although there are distinctive elements to the Italian manager's tactics, such as the occasional pauses in possession for Brighton to regroup, Fati will discover the presence of familiar principles regarding ball possession and winning it high, which is unusual for a club that has never achieved a higher position than sixth in the English Premier League.

Fati's performance at Barcelona could defy expectations when compared to other players who have left a title-winning team. Specifically, when Bojan joined Stoke City in 2014, the difference is even more noticeable. Last season, Fati was among the top 10 players in LaLiga for shots per 90 minutes, with a strike rate just below Karim Benzema. He also had the second-highest frequency of touches inside the opposing team's box, just behind Vinicius Junior.

There was a time when a player could only hope to replicate such numbers at the world's richest clubs. Brighton have changed that.

Since De Zerbi's arrival, they have accumulated 1177 touches in the opponents' box, surpassing the counts of both Liverpool and Manchester United. Remarkably, they are only 10 touches away from matching Guardiola's exceptional Manchester City team. The idea of Brighton being a suitable destination for a Barcelona talent seeking playing time to rediscover their brilliance may have appeared absurd previously. However, this notion now emphasizes the commendable efforts of De Zerbi and the transformation of Brighton into a reputable club.