Gaining prominence within clubs like FC Barcelona is always a significant task in its own right. Competition is always fierce in top European sides, but perhaps it is even more so at FC Barcelona given the quality in their sizeable squad.
Players in various positions continue to fight for their place within the starting eleven, ranging from the offensive regions all the way to the defensive structure. However, it is perhaps most difficult for upcoming talents from the academy to gain prominence within such a top club.
One particular case is that of a highly talented youngster from La Masia. 20-year-old Fermin Lopez proved to be an absolute sensation during the pre-season tour of the United States of America.
Already having been highly praised by fellow teammates and coaches, his performance against Real Madrid remains etched into the minds of many who had the privilege of watching that El Clasico.
Scoring a brilliant goal from distance, the player’s praise turned out to not be in vain and instead felt fully merited. However, due to the excess of quality within the midfield, the youngster has since featured sparingly for Barcelona in the official 2023/24 campaign.
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, however, this has not deterred the 20-year-old from putting in effort and determination to earn a spot back within the first team, and above all, he remains completely patient without any complaints whatsoever.
Xavi himself, perhaps hoping to touch the determination of the youngster, even acknowledged him specifically when talking about the quality depth that he possessed within his Barcelona squad’s midfield options:
“Fermín is a discovery; he can help us a lot. He’s a player to be reckoned with, and he can be important.”
However, things have not gone too smoothly for the young talent with Barcelona Atletic either. Upon his return to the team, he saw himself get expelled with a red card in his first game back and then had to even complete his suspension by being kept away from both the subsidiary and the first team as a consequence.
Yet, both Xavi Hernandez and Barcelona Atletic head coach Rafa Marquez understand the needs of the player to gain experience and grow. Moving forward, there is no doubt that he can be an important piece for Barcelona Atletic and even the first team, as the fact remains that the player has renewed his contract with FC Barcelona until 2027.
