Ansu Fati, Lionel Messi's 'successor' at Barcelona, set to play in Premier League this season

FC Barcelona forward Ansu Fati is expected to move to the Premier League before the end of the current summer window.

Fati, Barcelona's wonder kid and once considered as Lionel Messi's successor at Camp Nou, has agreed to join Brighton on a season-long loan, according to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. A verbal deal is in place between Barcelona and Brighton, but the Spaniard's contract won't include a buy option clause.

This was a turnaround decision from Fati, who was earlier adamant about remaining at Camp Nou this summer despite pressure from everywhere. While the young forward wanted to fight for his place in Xavi Hernandez's XI, the club, his agent, Jorge Mendes, and his father, Bori, had all been pushing for him to spend a year in an outside club in a bid to secure regular game time.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur have also approached Barcelona over a move for Fati, but the North London club are believed to be now pursuing the signing of Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson. The likes of Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund have also shown interest in Fati, but it looks like the young Spanish star has made up his mind about joining Brighton.

After making a sensational arrival in senior football as a 16-year-old in 2019, Fati missed nearly two years between 2020 and 2022 due to various injury issues, mostly knee and hamstring problems.

While Fati remained fit for most of last season, the majority of his 51 competitive appearances came off the bench. Fati scored 10 goals and four assists in all competitions, including seven goals in La Liga as the Catalans clinched the league title.

With Fati frustrated by a lack of starts under Xavi, the young player's father urged him to quit the club earlier this year. Fati's father was annoyed by the way Barcelona were treating Fati, who inherited the No.10 shirt from Messi.

Xavi has favoured Pedri (now injured) or Gavi on Fati's preferred left flank in his four-man midfield system. On the right, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has beaten Fati and Ferran Torres to take Raphinha's place. This is because the Brazillian playmaker is currently suspended for two matches for picking up a red card against Getafe in the season opener.

Fati's departure from Barcelona this summer will also mean that the Catalan club will be able to finally complete their signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid. In order to sign Felix, who spent last season on loan at Chelsea, Barcelona needed to offload a few players to make space in their salary bracket.