News about Ansu Fati

Brentford will host Brighton on Wednesday night, taking a major step closer to Premier League safety. With a grueling fixture schedule against top sides coming up, the visitors know that a victory against a weaker opposition on paper is going to help them lift their European hopes. The Bees are expected to win at home, with odds of 7/4 likely to back the Seagulls for a victory. A draw is worth 13/5.

Brighton will have to have one of the best comebacks in history tonight if they want to keep their Europa League dream alive. Last week, Roberto De Zerbi's team was humiliated 4-0 in the first leg of their round of 16 matches, and as a result, they face an almost impossible challenge at home. That is evident in the betting lines, with the Seagulls winning the tie by a wide 16/1 margin, while the visitors 1/100 to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Barcelona's fight against their ongoing financial crisis has hit another sway, after LaLiga reportedly reduced their salary cap by more than £50 million. Following a string of big transfer bribes and years of mismanagement at the Nou Camp, the reigning Spanish champions have been wrestling against Javier Tebas' financial restrictions for some time. As a result, the club's salary cap was reduced by almost 50% for the start of the season - from £558 million to £232 million.

PETE JENSON: Underappreciated and then slashed, Spain and Barça's legendary Xavi had no intention of visiting Barcelona. The club has form for chewing up and spitting out its stars, but the 44-year-old, who won every aspect of the game for club and country, is now in danger of being remembered more for his comical last season at the club he adores than for his numerous trophies. It's long been established that he is not Pep Guardiola's second coming. He isn't a visionary nor does he have the same lightning quick mental skills to switch games from the touchline. But he still won La Liga last season, Barcelona's first without Lionel Messi, and who's to say it won't be their last game for a long time. He made the biggest mistake not to use that triumph to build a power base within the club. He should have laid down markers having won the trophy, but instead, he allowed others at the club to make all the changes.

Brighton is concerned that a hamstring injury could keep them without Ansu Fati for three months. Similar questions have been raised over Tariq Lamptey's fitness, but the Seagulls insist his issue is not as bad as first imagined, and may be back sooner than expected.

MATT BARLOW IN ATHENS: Roberto De Zerbi's diplomatic skills were certainly enhanced by simmering tensions between the British and Greek governments over the Elgin Marbles. The Brighton boss arrived in Athens for a critical Europa League match against AEK, who says he trusted Premier League referees only after saying he does not like 80% of them. I believe in the people,' De Zerbi said.

During a moment right after Brighton's Tariq Lamptey collapsed due to injury, Brighton's Tariq Lamptey collapsed, and Brighton fans gathered in the lower tier of the Bridgford Stand chanting, 'Stand up if you've brought your boots'. They had already lost Ansu Fati earlier in the half, and now Lamptey, in his first appearance since October, was compelled to add to their growing injury list. However, Roberto De Zerbi's injury-ravaged side emerged in a thrilling match against Nottingham Forest as Fati's replacement, Joao Pedro, scored twice after Evan Ferguson's equalizer to give the Seagulls their first league victory since September and their first top-flight victory since 1979.

According to spanish reports, Brighton loanee Ansu Fati is determined to return to Barcelona next season and resurrect his career with the LaLiga giants. The 21-year-old burst onto the scene in 2019-2021, making 24 appearances and scoring seven goals. However, injuries wreaked havoc on his growth and the minutes began to dry up, resulting in his season-long loan move last summer.

PETE JENSON: We can take 'Madrid' out of any signing Mbappe' as seriously as the reports about him being 'primed to announce him every day,' last summer and the summer before that. But it does seem that the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who will be 25 next month, will no longer be identified as a king and will not be paid by Qatar.

Evan Ferguson, the up-and-coming prospect for Brighton's Premier League match against Fulham at home, is the most backed from either team in Sky Bet's 'Goalscorers' competition. Ferguson, who has scored four league goals in nine appearances this season, has a 81 percent chance to score or 5/1 for the game's first goal. Ferguson is followed by his colleagues Ansu Fati, Joao Pedro, and Danny Welbeck, who are 13/8, 6/4, and 7/4 respectively to find the back of the net at any time.

MATT BARLOW AT THE AMEX STADIUM: Brighton was forced to wait for their first Europa League victory. They lost to Athens, who lost at AEK Athens. They came to a point in Marseille but then victory came against Ajax, the aristocrats of European football, and it was delicious. Not the mighty Ajax of years past, it is not true. They were a pale shadow of those teams that contributed to the success of Total Football, fifty years since Johan Cruyff inspired them to a hat-trick of European Cup victories.

JACK GAUGHAN AT THE ETIHAD 2-1 BRIGHTON: It was a bit of a deluge at the end, considering that Pep Guardiola had asked the guy in the other dugout before this. The Manchester City manager turned to a member of staff and suggested that he might be able to become Roberto De Zerbi's agent. Everybody chuckled. De Zerbi is the one who has been tipped to take Guardiola's seat if Catalan decides to pack it in. And with good reason: nobody has boosted a club quite like the Italian since he picked Brighton at the start of last season. This is a brave, bold, and capable of governing games like this. Guardiola said Brighton's 'body shape' makes them so beautiful when explaining why he loves the 44-year-old, someone he considers a friend. De Zerbi has worked hard individually and collectively to honed their sharpness into the thirds.

JOE BERNSTEIN AT VILLA PARK: Ollie Watkins scored a spectacular hat-trick in front of England boss Gareth Southgate as Aston Villa defeated Villa Park for their 10th Premier League victory in a row. After a tense discussion over their Castore shirts causing too much enthusiasm, Unai Emery's side gained three points, although their kit looked damper than you would have expected under chilly weather. After Ansu Fati had pulled a goal back for Brighton, they scored three times in the first 26 minutes and wrapped up the points with another three in the second half.

Brighton has been lauded for their development and football philosophy, but there are several staff members who are hard at work behind the scenes. Roberto De Zerbi, the current club chef, the player liaison officer, and the social media manager are among those involved, but all three players are involved. Mail Sport provides an insight into the various employees behind Brighton's scenes.

Inside A PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB's Nick Harris remained unrivalled access to Brighton and Hove Albion during the club's historic week, which saw them defeat Manchester United and play their first-ever European game. Nowhere was off limits as the Seagulls lifted the lid on an operation that took them from a newly promoted squad to a club that is challenging English football's top flight, from the chef to the board room to the dressing room. Mail Sport reveals how Roberto De Zerbi's side persisted each day as they pummelled United at Old Trafford and welcome AEK Athens to the south coast.

MATT BARLOW AT THE AMEX: The Seagull flight into Europe commanded a lot of enthusiasm. It was, quite rightly, a celebration in its own right. Confirmation of some aspects of their revival from extinction, not only to return to the top flight of English football but also beyond. Brighton Pavilion was lit in blue for the occasion and decked the streets in club colours. Fans of the Amex Stadium were in high spirits. Then AEK Athens descended on the south coast and clipped their wings.

OLIVER HOLT AT OLD TRAFFORD: Old Trafford was not a shock victim. Brighton won as most predicted they would. The more-owned, more profitable, better-managed club defeated an entity that is still trying to figure out what being a football club entails, as many as expected. Manchester United has devolved into a sad shambles of a place both on and off the field. During Brighton's match against United, there were long stretches of the game. There were times when United States could not get anywhere near them. Brighton is so brave in possession and so confident that it feels like an education and a treat every time you watch them. On Saturday, they were mesmerizing.

Newcastle 3-1: It's been another wonderkid that lit up the Amex as Roberto De Zerbi's side won their third game of the season on Saturday with new arrival Ansu Fati. Nick Pope went through a nightmare sequence with a bad clearance being picked up by Pervis Estupinan in 26 minutes. The England international made a good save to deny Kaoru Mitoma, but was later found to blame as he spilled Billy Gilmore's attempt into the path of Evan Ferguson, who moved from close range to lead the hosts.

For the newest news as Brighton welcome Newcastle at the Amex stadium, follow Mail Sport's live blog, but the Seagulls will be without new signing Ansu Fati.

Premier League clubs will now have to make do with their current squads until January as the high-intensity drama of the transfer window begins to fade. The big boys in the division have been bolstered, the middle of the road sides have increased, and the teams that were supposed to face it out at the top of the table have also been increased. Transfers can make or break a team's fate during this 38-game marathon, with some teams wishing they didn't get a big contract because of the line, or ecstatic that their brand-new signing has come well. Supporters of each Premier League team will have their own minds already made up about their activity, but how does Mail Sport rank your team's dealings? Here are our A-E transfer ratings...

PETE JENSON: Manager Luis Enrique was asked if he had done anything differently in Spain's round of 16 exits at the World Cup last year. "I would make a change, but there is one I wouldn't take," he said about his squad pick. He has never disclosed who he was talking about, but the consensus is that he was talking about new Brighton forward Ansu Fati.

Brighton has signed Ansu Fati on a season-long loan from Barcelona. Since being dissatisfied with his inability to get regular starts under Barcelona boss Xavi, the talented winger has joined Roberto De Zerbi's staff. De Zerbi wrote on Brighton's official website that he is optimistic that the club will be able to bring Fati back to his best.

With Romelu Lukaku's loan move to Roma finally confirmed, please follow Mail Sport's live blog for all the transfer news on Thursday.

Ansu Fati has a counter bid from Sevilla, which is throwing off Brighton's announcement of a stunning potential signing. Sevilla has the opportunity to play Champions League football as well as a more familiar environment in LaLiga. On Wednesday night, Brighton was closing in on the Fati loan agreement. Nevertheless, a contract may no longer be straightforward given Sevilla's historical interest.