Ansu Fati can only get better with playing time.

That is the verdict of a former Albion forward with a wealth of experience of Spanish football as fans wait for the next instalment from the loan signing from Barcelona.

Ansu played a full game on Thursday in the 3-2 defeat by AEK and showed glimpses of what he can offer.

He has operated as a No.10, playing mainly in support of Joao Pedro, in his two outings so far, having made his debut as sub at Old Trafford.

Former Albion man Gerry Armstrong, who played in Spain and covered La Liga with Sky Sports, said: “To all intents and purposes, he is the perfect De Zerbi player: quick, intelligent, and one who can explode with the ball in the final third.

“He’s got a great change of pace over the first five or ten metres, a low centre of gravity, and he’s got great balance and good feet.”

In a piece for today’s match programme as Albion play Bournemouth, Armstong says: “He causes problems when the ball’s at his feet and defenders have got to be on their toes.

“He’s technically very, very good and once he builds up his match fitness, getting those minutes on the pitch, hopefully we’ll then see the Ansu Fati that destroyed defences in Spain and the Champions League.”

De Zerbi enjoyed Ansu’s display against AEK and wants him to be relaxed on the pitch.

The Albion head coach said: “I was really pleased for his performance, he played well.

“Everyone has big expectations for Ansu, but he hasn’t got to feel more pressure, he’s got to enjoy himself and show his quality.

“We love him. We want to help him reach his level. If he plays in the right way, his way, we can win more games.”

Ansu’s move has attracted plenty of attention in Spain – notably Barcelona.

Mundo Deportivo highlighted how D Zerbi called Ansu five times ahead of the move, spelling out his plans in decent Spanish.

Diario Sport picked up on of Ansu’s quote from his arrival as he spoke about the De Zerbi influence in his big decision.

Ansu revealed: “He said he has full confidence in me and told me what he thought about me.

“For me, that was a key factor. He was the main person who convinced me to come here, with what he said, how he sees me as a player, and what I can improve.” Albion fans could see more of Ansu today with De Zerbi picking from a wide range of attacking and midfield options.