Ansu Fati, currently Barcelona’s Number 10 was a household name who emerged from the ranks of the famous La Masia.
The Rise of the star
Ansu Fati debuted for the club in 2019, when he was just 16. He immediately captured the headlines with his dazzling skills, clinical finishing and his confident approach to the game. Ansu became the youngest goal scorer in Barcelona’s history and one of the youngest to ever score in Champions League history. Fati also became Spain’s youngest goal scorer, at the age of 17.
His pace, creativity, and eye for the net made him unstoppable, and many believed he was the next big thing from La Masia. After Neymar’s departure, the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Griezmann, and Coutinho failed to make their mark, Ansu was seen as a potential replacement.
Messi who played with Ansu Fati stated himself: “I like him and I’ll try to help him,”. “He is a fantastic player and has what it takes to succeed. But if I look through my eyes, I would like him to have a gradual participation, as happened to me when I started. It must be remembered that he is only 16 years old.” “I was helped a lot by Ronaldinho and Rijkaard”.
From prodigy to struggle
Ansu was awarded the Golden Boy award in 2020, due to his breakthrough season in 2019/20 contributing 7 goals and 1 assist in 24 appearances, with an impressive goal every 137 minutes in La Liga. Ansu Fati’s career path was quite bullish, with fans having high expectations from him.
Ansu Fati’s career took a hefty dip after he suffered an injury against Real Betis. He tore his meniscus. This injury led him to be on the sidelines for almost an year. Despite multiple surgeries, his recovery was slow and challenging. When he finally returned to the pitch, he scored a goal in the first game coming off the bench, rising hopes of the prodigy’s comeback.
But after few more games, Fati struggled to regain his form and consistency. He suffered multiple injuries and this directly affected the youngster’s confidence. The spark that once defined his game started to dim. He was loaned to Brighton in 23/24 season. He has completed his loan spell and returned this summer.
Is fati in hansi flick’s plan?
Hansi Flick has shown his unwavering confidence in Ansu, despite the young forward’s ongoing struggles. This season Ansu has appeared in 7 games, mainly coming off the bench, yet his drought of goals and assists continues.
Ansu suffered from an hamstring injury during training in November. However, Flick remains adamant about unlocking the best version out of Ansu Fati. Reports from AS reveal that Flick played a pivotal role in keeping Ansu at the club last summer. As the winter transfer window approaches, Flick continues to believe and will prevent his departure.
In my opinion, Ansu still has that spark and just needs a little more time to regain his confidence back. When he gets back to his full form and regains his momentum, there will be no stopping. His comeback is still pending and I am eagerly waiting for him to be back. As Lamine is out due to his unfortunate injury and Ansu returning from his injury, Flick has an option of playing Ansu in Copa Del Rey games.