Once considered a top talent at FC Barcelona, there are still no signs of the 21-year-old’s resurgence. Even the coach is frustrated.
“Roberto De Zerbi, 45, has urged the player, who is currently playing on loan, to have confidence in himself,” Sportskida reported on Sept. 2. Pati signed a loan deal with Brighton & Hove Albion in September last year after leaving his hometown club Barcelona.
Pati was a supernova when he made his Barcelona first-team debut in 2019 at the age of 17. At the time, he broke Barcelona’s youngest appearance and goalscoring records. However, a series of injuries and a decline in form led to his departure from the club. He hoped to revive his career under the Italian mastermind De Zerbi.
However, since arriving at Brighton, he hasn”t been able to fulfill his potential. He even suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for three months, according to Sportkida. After making his comeback against Crystal Palace on March 3, he went five games without scoring.
The director’s frustration was palpable. “Pati needs to believe in himself more,” De Jervy said. He’s a good player with a good personality. As a coach, you have to help him show his qualities. He has to give 100% effort all the time.”
Since joining Brighton, Pati has scored four goals and provided one assist in 19 games. While he has shown flashes of brilliance at times, he is still far from the player he was at Barcelona.
Barcelona, one of Spain’s most prestigious clubs, had high hopes for Pati. They even gave Lionel Messi (37) his number, 10, when he left.
However, after going down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in November 2020, Pati’s performance took a noticeable downturn. He returned to the field about a year later, but his performance was not as good as his debut season.
In addition, Pati”s injuries became more frequent. Hamstring problems were discovered. He lost more than half of the 2021-2022 season. Coach Xavi Hernández, 45, seemed to have lost hope in Pati and allowed him to leave.
For now, Pati”s loan is until June. De Zerbi still left the door open for him to return.