Barcelona forward Ansu Fati will leave the club on loan before the end of the transfer window, as he searches for the game time that Xavi Hernandez has been unable to give him. It appears it will also be his first foray outside of Spanish football.
Fati was in talks with Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday evening over a loan move, but Sevilla entered the race for his signature at the last moment, following links to Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea too.
His father, Bori Fati, had voiced Sevilla as his preference for his son, being where the family lived before Barcelona, while Agent Jorge Mendes was pushing Ansu towards a move to Brighton. It appears Brighton Manager Roberto de Zerbi has been decisive, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that Fati is now on his way to England to sign his deal.
He also confirmed that Brighton would be paying 80% of Fati’s wages for the duration of the loan, which does not have an option to buy. His salary is believed to be upwards of €10m, and should give Barcelona an extra €5m to spend on incorporating new players into their salary limit, with Inaki Pena and Inigo Martinez yet to be registered.