Spain forward Ansu Fati has joined Brighton on a season-long loan from Barcelona.
Fati had dropped down the pecking order at Barcelona, which needed to make room in their roster for Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo to join them on loan.
Brighton’s offer for the 20-year-old does not include a purchase obligation.
Fati was also connected with Tottenham, although he is said to have been impressed with Brighton’s style of play under manager Roberto de Zerbi.
“This is a fantastic deal for all of us,” De Zerbi remarked. I am confident that Ansu will assist us in setting a new goal and returning him to the level he deserves.”
The agreement is a big achievement for Brighton, who will play European football for the first time this season after qualifying for the Europa League, where they will face Ajax, Marseille, and AEK Athens in the group round.
“He is one of the most highly-rated young players in the world and arrives with an impressive amount of experience both domestically and in European competition, despite his age,” Brighton technical director David Weir added.
“This season is the most important in the club’s history, and we’re thrilled that a player of Ansu’s calibre 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, who was born in Guinea-Bissau but chose to represent Spain and was a member of their World Cup squad last year, signed a new deal with Barcelona in 2021 that will continue until 2027 and has a one billion euro buyout clause.
