Ansu Fati is confident he can return to his previous heights after an injury-plagued couple of seasons for Barcelona.
In 2019, Fati made a big impression at 16, becoming the second-youngest youngster to play for Barcelona in LaLiga and the third-youngest player to score in Spain’s top division.
He was the youngest player to score in the Champions League, for Spain, and in El Clasico; however, Gavi has since exceeded his mark on the international stage.
Fati only made 15 appearances in all competitions last season due to hamstring issues and a catastrophic knee injury he suffered in November 2020.
However, he is optimistic that he will return to his previous level as a player.
Fati told TV3:
“I’m working to achieve it, and I have no doubt that with work and sacrifice, I will achieve it.
“Right now, I’m not 100 per cent, but I’m very close.
“It’s normal that you play very cautiously when you come back from an injury. But that’s only the first minutes of the first game, then you forget it. Right now, I’m playing without fear.
“I know where I’ve come from and everything I’ve done to be here. I never thought about quitting. I’m very young and have my whole future ahead of me.”
Following the additions of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha at Camp Nou, Fati will face more competition for playing time. Still, he believes this competitiveness may help Barca recapture their old glory.
“We are building a very good team, very competitive. The new signings will give us a lot throughout the season. They are great players who will help us,” said Fati.
“We have a very powerful forward line and a lot of competition. It’s very good for the team and the players that we can’t relax. We know that if we don’t work hard, we’ll not play because someone else can take out place. This is good because it will always keep us on edge.
“This is a team that wants to win titles. We know that we’ve only won the Copa del Rey recently, which cannot be enough at Barca.”
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