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Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati has rejected Tottenham in favour of a move to Brighton, according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The 20-year-old will join the south-coast club on loan after speaking directly with Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi who is understood to have played a key role in Fati's decision to accept the move.
Fati has been pushed towards the exit door amid reports of a falling out with Barcelona boss Xavi, and had attracted attention from a number of Premier League clubs including Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Spurs were believed to be closest to sealing a loan move for the Spanish forward, but Brighton appear to have successfully hijacked the deal.
READ MORE: Brighton lauded for 'scamming' Chelsea as Blues look to offload £62m flop to Man Utd
In response, fans on social media ripped into Tottenham, with one user claiming it "says a lot" that a player would reject the north London club for the Seagulls.
"Ansu Fati knows better than to go to Spurs," one fan joked. "It says a lot that Brighton are seen as a more attractive proposition than Spurs these days," added another.
"Spurs. Spurs. Spurs. They really thought they were getting Ansu Fati," wrote a third, while a frustrated Tottenham supporter commented: "That's the last time I get my hopes up when it comes to this club. How have we lost Fati to Brighton of all clubs? Could understand Man City or Liverpool, but Brighton!?"
How many goals will Ansu Fati score for Brighton this season? Let us know in the comments section below.
Many at Barcelona considered Fati the successor to Lionel Messi when he broke into the first team from the club's famed La Masia academy at the age of just 16 in 2019, especially after ended his debut campaign with eight goals in 33 games.
But a devastating knee injury, followed by back-to-back hamstring injuries kept him sidelined for most of the following two seasons, and threatened to completely derail his young career.
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He returned to full fitness in 2022 and made 51 appearances in all competitions for Barca last season, though the majority of them were from the bench, and his relationship with Xavi deteriorated over the summer when he demanded more of a senior role in the side.
Their falling out was serious enough for Fati, who has been at Barcelona since he was 10-years-old, to push for an exit, though the Catalan club rate him too highly to let him leave permanently, agreeing instead to let him depart on loan.
He's expected to travel to Brighton today to complete his medical. It's understood there is no option to buy clause in the agreement.
- Brighton Hove Albion FC
- Tottenham Hotspur FC
- Premier League
- Barcelona FC
- La Liga
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