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Monaco is usually a place where the rich and successful come to relax, but instead, for Ansu Fati, it's where the hard work truly begins. The Spaniard was once seen as the heir to Lionel Messi's throne, but won't be afforded the royal reception upon his move to Stade Louis II. The Principality is much more familiar with the early triumphs of Fati's career, rather than the trials and tribulations of recent years. The forward is somehow still only 22-years-old, the same age as Chelsea's newest striker Liam Delap. To put that into further context, he's seven months younger than Premier League Young Player of the Year winner Ryan Gravenberch. However, Fati hasn't been accustomed to being dubbed a wonderkid since 2019. His rags-to-riches story makes him the perfect fit for Monte Carlo, with the winger moving to Spain from Guinea-Bissau as a child. His father had already left their homeland in pursuit of money befitting of Monaco when he settled in Seville. Bori Fati worked multiple jobs in the small Andalusian town of Herrera to raise the capital needed to bring his family with him. "My father could have left and forgotten about us, like others do, but he worked hard to bring us here. I will always value the sacrifice that he made for us, " his superstar son told L'Equipe. Fati, who was six years old when he met his father, was enrolled in a class with younger children due to his inability to speak Spanish. His universal language with a ball at his feet saw him snapped up by Sevilla at age eight, and it wasn't long before Barcelona came calling. Fati earned his billing as a future superstar after following some of football's greats through Barca's famed La Masia academy. He became the club’s second-youngest appearance maker in August 2019 when he came on as a substitute in a 5-2 win over Real Betis. He then became the club's youngest goal scorer in a 2-2 draw against Osasuna six days later. Fittingly, he has been usurped in the record books on both occasions by the next Messi in waiting, Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old is the natural successor to the fabled No. 10 shirt at Camp Nou after signing a new long-term contract with a €1 billion euro (£840m) buyout clause. While Yamal can claim to have been 'baptised' by Messi, it remains Fati who was named heir apparent by the Argentine icon himself. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner looked to nurture the then-teenager in the way Ronaldinho opened the Catalonia doors for him. Messi posted a picture on Instagram of him embracing Fati after his debut, having waited for the youngster at the end of the tunnel. "Great game from everyone, " Messi wrote on social media. "We get our first three points in La Liga and I'm really happy to see the La Masia kids, fulfilling their dreams of playing and scoring in an official game at the Camp Nou. " Weeks after that, Fati lived up to the hype, scoring inside two minutes of his first start at the Camp Nou as a 16-year-old. “It’s not normal for his first touch to be a goal, it’s not normal for his second to be an assist, and it’s not normal for his third to almost go in the top corner, ” the then-head coach, Ernesto Valverde, said. Fati was handed the No. 31 shirt upon his breakthrough, just one digit higher than Messi's first jersey at Barcelona. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who mentored Fati in Barca's youth ranks, told Spanish outlet AS in 2019: “If I had to describe what making his debut meant to him, the shirt number he wore to make his debut says everything you need to know. “The No. 31 – for those of us who have come right the way up through the club, to make your debut at Camp Nou, aged 16, wearing the No. 31 shirt… right away that says you are an elite player. “It doesn’t happen that way for your average player… with that squad number. “There are many lower squad numbers below that, players who have come right the way up through the ranks. " Fati scored his first international goal in his first start for Spain in 2020 and seemed destined to lead club and country for a decade. Then, two months later, football's bright spark went out against the same side against whom he had made his debut. On 7 November 2020, Fati tore a meniscus in his left knee during a clash with Real Betis, which sidelined him for 323 days. 64 games later, it appeared as though the crisis had been averted when Fati immediately scored upon his return to the side. Even the opposition manager on that day, ex-Levante boss Paco López, said he was “happy for football that he's back”. Unfortunately, four operations in three countries began took their toll on his body just as his importance to Barcelona increased. He was handed the number 10 shirt when Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain as Barca's dire financial straits were laid bare. “[Fati] can’t be asked to fix everything Messi left, ” Ronald Koeman, manager of the club between August 2020 and October 2021. Further injuries followed, and from that November until the end of April, he missed another 33 games. He did not return until May 2022 and started just nine league games across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. A shock loan to Brighton proved a false dawn in reigniting his career, having been made an outcast at a place he was used to calling home. A calf injury led to him missing 13 games of the 2023/24 campaign, with a return of just four goals and an assist for the Seagulls. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo about his time in the Premier League, Fati said: “It’s a very intense, very demanding league. Any team can win in any game. “It was a pleasure playing for Brighton but now I am back with my club and together with my family. “I learned so many things from both my teammates and the club. It’s the first time I left Spain and I had a lovely experience. “Playing in a very physical and demanding league like the Premier League has improved me in every ways and I have learned a lot. “I’m quite a shy person but I liked interacting with my teammates. I established a good relationship with them and there were days where we didn’t train but we still met up to do things or eat. “At the end of the day, my intention is to continue demonstrating that I have lots to give to this club [Barcelona]. ” How accurate that last statement would have been is anyone's guess, with just 11 appearances in all competitions this season. Monaco is his next destination, a club that has handed Paul Pogba Eric Dier, Takumi Minamino, Folarin Balogun, and Mika Biereth the opportunity to reinvent themselves away from the spotlight of a European powerhouse. The pinnacle of Formula 1 racing in the world may just be the perfect place for Fati to slow down before returning to the top. © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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