Ansu Fati’s reboot at Monaco, can the former Barcelona prodigy become a key figure again? | OneFootball

Ansu Fati was once billed as Lionel Messi’s heir at Barcelona. Now at Monaco, he is seeking a reboot, with a match against a former rival club on Tuesday 20 January 2026.

According to Nice-Matin, he broke into Barça’s XI in 2019 and, a week after his debut against Real Betis, scored aged 16 years and 304 days, overtaking Bojan Krkic and Lionel Messi as the club’s youngest scorer.

Born in Guinea-Bissau, he moved to Spain at six and joined Barcelona at 12, rising through La Masia. A tibia-fibula fracture at 13 did not halt his momentum, and Ernesto Valverde promoted him after only a few senior sessions.

Installed on the left, he earned Messi’s public backing and was fast-tracked into Spain by Luis Enrique in August 2020 after being naturalised. Hype was instant and intense.

Injuries, including to the meniscus, then stalled his ascent. Across five seasons in Catalonia he still produced in big matches, though his Clásico tally reads 10 played, 3 wins and 2 goals.

In Spain, opinion now ranges from indifference to disappointment. He is no longer the same explosive winger, and his main challenge is adapting to his body, yet he could still compete at a high level.

Monaco hope for that version. Coach Sébastien Pocognoli considers him on the right track and believes he could be important if physically ready.

Source: Nice-Matin