The rebirth of Ansu Fati

BarcelonaIf Ansu Fati can teach us anything, it's that giving up is not an option. The former Barça number 10, a symbolic number he inherited prematurely after the departure of a colossal figure like Leo Messi, is rising from the ashes in France. These haven't been easy months for the Spanish-Guinean footballer. Repeated injuries kept him off the pitch for extended periods. Neither in his final seasons at Barça nor during his loan spell at Brighton did he achieve the continuity necessary to resume his career. Now, however, a miracle seems to be unfolding at Monaco, where he has scored six goals in five matches, although he has only started twice.

Last July, Ansu Fati renewed his contract with Barça until 2028, with a partial restructuring of his salary. The renewal agreement was finalized with a loan move to Monaco that includes a non-binding purchase option at the end of the season. Thus, France has been the 23-year-old's bet for this season. As soon as he arrived in the Principality, Ansu suffered a new injury that sidelined him for the entire preseason and the start of the French league. The ghosts returned. But with the support of Adi Hütter, one of the main architects of Monaco's commitment to the young Barça player, he seems to be managing to turn things around.

The striker made his scoring debut in the Champions League in the 4-1 defeat to Club Brugge, coming off the bench in the 63rd minute. His positive results were confirmed in the following Ligue 1 match, where he excelled with a key brace in the comeback against Metz (5-2). His love affair with the goal continued against Lorient, despite his team's 3-1 defeat. Although he didn't score in the European clash against Manchester City (2-2), he performed well during the 60 minutes he played: completing two of two dribbles successfully, achieving 90% effectiveness in passing, and winning six of six ground duels. This past weekend, he got back to his old tricks with another brace against Nice (2-2). In total, he has scored a goal every 41.8 minutes of play, and is currently the top scorer in Ligue 1. A start in the French league that few could have predicted. In fact, Monaco chose him as their best player of the month for September.

Former La Masia director Xavi Martín knows Ansu well from his time with the Barça youth academy and, speaking with ARA, celebrates the fact that things are going well for him at the start of the French championship. "I see him doing very well. What he had to do was regain his confidence, and now he's achieving that," he says. According to Martín, the lack of continuity was the player's main obstacle during his time at Barça. "If you don't have continuity, you can't gain confidence, and if you don't have confidence, you can't perform at your best," he concludes. The former La Masia director describes him as "an exceptional kid, both on and off the field, who perfectly represents the values promoted at La Masia: humility, effort, teamwork, and ambition."

Martín also recalls Ansu's complicated path with injuries: "He was very excited to return soon, maybe too much, and that led him to relapse. When you relapse, it affects you mentally and you lose confidence." He also believes that giving him the number 10 after Messi's departure didn't help either. "That put more pressure on him at a time when he was lacking confidence, and the situation became even more complicated," he points out. Despite the obstacles, he sees Ansu as an example of overcoming difficulties: "Now he's gaining confidence and he keeps scoring in every game. Football is much more than technique or physique; it's also about confidence. And now he's regained it. I'm very happy because he deserves it."

Monaco's bid for Ansu Fati

Meanwhile, Éric Silvestro, a Monegasque journalist for RTL France, analyzes Monaco's bid for the Barça player for ARA. "Monaco has attempted a gamble with Ansu that isn't too risky financially. It's the ideal framework for him, without pressure. Furthermore, the club has given him time to prepare physically to minimize the risk of injury," he explains. "Everyone in Ligue 1 hopes this will last, because it will be good for Monaco, but above all for the championship. But his beginnings at Brighton last season had also been interesting, albeit without continuity. And while he scored a penalty against Lorient and Nice, he has been less influential when he started and the team hasn't influenced the bench," Silvestro adds. "It's still too early to say that Ansu is back, but it's a joy for French football to have such a talent."