Barcelona’s financial struggles are no secret and the Catalans have had to lean heavily on their youth academy to provide first-team calibre players over the past few years.
While superstar winger Lamine Yamal, in the mould of all-time Barca great Lionel Messi, draws most of the limelight, another La Masia graduate is proving increasingly vital in Fermin Lopez.
The 22-year-old midfielder is establishing himself as a regular starter for Hansi Flick, even though outside of Spain he is not yet a household name.
Chelsea know plenty about Lopez, though, having had a 40-million-euro ($46 million) bid rebuffed in the summer.
Barcelona visit Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in the Champions League with the midfielder as one of their main goal threats.
Flick was keen to keep Lopez, while Barca were open to selling him at the right price, which Chelsea did not reach.
“I’m convinced that he will stay, but in the end I don’t know what happens. We have to wait. I am really happy when the market is closed,” said Flick in August, eventually getting his wish.
Lopez joined Barca as a 13-year-old and badly wanted to stay. “He lives (for) Barca, he loves Barca,” added Flick.
The German has his predecessor Xavi Hernandez to thank for helping to bring Lopez through.
In the summer of 2023 Xavi called Lopez up to the first-team squad in pre-season, and he scored against Real Madrid in a Clasico friendly, helping to stay in the coach’s plans for the 2023/24 season.
Lopez also played 46 times for Flick last season as Barcelona won a domestic treble, although often as a substitute.
At the start of this season the midfielder has taken a further step forward and has outperformed Dani Olmo in the number 10 position when given the chance.
With Gavi out injured and unable to find his best form even before that, Lopez is Flick’s best option at the sharp end of the midfield trio.
– ‘He has it all’ –
In Flick’s physically demanding system, the dynamic Lopez offers boundless energy. He presses well, tracks back and most importantly, has a knack for finding the net, always contributing in attack.
“He scores, he runs, he’s very complete,” said Flick. “He has it all, he’s dynamic, he has speed.”
On away trips Lopez has been frequently the player fans have most clamoured for autographs from at the team hotel, at least behind, inevitably, Yamal.
Lopez has seven goals and four assists in 12 appearances this season across all competitions, scoring a hat-trick against Olympiakos earlier in the league phase of the Champions League.
In the 3-3 draw at Club Brugge Lopez also provided two fine assists to help Barca snatch a point, while he missed their only European defeat injured, against Paris Saint-Germain.
If defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo is fit to start against Barca on Tuesday, Lopez will face arguably his toughest test so far this season.
However he came back from the international break in sparkling form as he helped Barca thump Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday to win their first match back at their rebuilt Camp Nou home.
Lopez scored in the win on his 100th Barca appearance and, using his agility in midfield, drew an ugly foul from Oihan Sancet which the Basque midfielder was sent off for.
His nose for goal and ability to arrive in the box at the right time, leaving defenders despairing, brings to mind former Chelsea great Frank Lampard.
Lopez usually operates in more advanced areas than Lampard did, but with Pedri out injured, he has been playing deeper of late and helping out in the engine room.
Despite his improvement and obvious utility for Barca — or maybe even because of it — he is an asset the Catalan giants could cash in.
If he shines at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday it would be no surprise to see Chelsea’s interest in the midfielder reawaken and his price tag rise further.
rbs/mw
