Once tipped to be Lionel Messi’s heir at Camp Nou, Fati’s journey hasn’t quite gone to plan at the club. His rapid rise was cut short by a serious knee injury in November 2020, and what seemed like a routine recovery turned into a long and frustrating spell. Since then, Fati has struggled to return to his old self that made him one of Europe’s most exciting young talents.
After struggling to get back to his best post-injury, Barcelona decided to send the winger on loan to Brighton for the 2023-24 season. But things didn’t quite click in England either. The 22-year-old made just 19 appearances and scored twice. Back at Barca, it didn’t get much better. Under new boss Hansi Flick, Fati barely got a look-in, which led to more frustrations.
Monaco reached out to Barca after the end of the season after agreeing on personal terms with Fati, but the deal reportedly collapsed after Barca rejected their opening offer. At first, the club held out for a permanent deal, but with no serious bids coming in, they reopened talks with Monaco and have now reached an agreement, with the French side covering part of his wages.