Ansu Fati has revealed that manager Roberto de Zerbi was key to his move to Brighton and Hove Albion, despite the fact he’d been watching them for a while.
The forward has been speaking to Sport regarding his surprise move to the Seagulls at the end of the transfer window.
Fati joined Brighton on a season-long loan deal at the end of the summer window after being linked with a move away from Barcelona throughout the summer and, at one point at least, being linked linked strongly with Tottenham.
He instead opted for Brighton after their impressive performances last season under Roberto de Zerbi, who he says was key to the switch.
“I spoke with Roberto,” he said.
“He had a lot of confidence in me, and he told me everything he thought about me. For me, he was key in my arrival. He is the big culprit for me being here.
“What he told me, how he sees me as a player and what I can improve…
“I knew that Brighton was a club that had grown over the last few seasons and had progressed very well, even qualifying for the Europa League this season. I really like the Premier League, and this was one of the clubs I followed the most.”
The Spaniard has slowly been working his way into the Brighton first team since his arrival, with him taking advantage of the international break to get up to speed and acclimatise himself to his new club.
He’s been slowly featuring from the bench and last night started their Europa League clash with AEK Athens, which ultimately ended in defeat.
The Barcelona owned player is likely to be key throughout the campaign as Brighton look to build on their excellent performances last season and perhaps qualify for Europe once again.
They’ve started the season in fine form so that looks like an attainable target, but Fati is looking even higher with his goals.
“I want to have a great season, fight for the team, try to qualify for Europe like they did last year, and if we can qualify for the Champions League, it would be even better,” he said.
