It is an unquestionable truth that FC Barcelona possess an embarrassment of riches in terms of youth players. Many starlets have had their breakout campaigns this season and also thoroughly impressed the continent. However, some names are more obscure than others when it comes to Barcelona, and that is simply the reality of things.
On one hand, names such as those of Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Gavi, become household names, while on the other hand, true underdog stories such as those of Fermin Lopez seem to be forgotten under the rug.
However, unlike those before him who were deemed as being not good enough for Barcelona, Lopez has only gotten better and better.
As a courtesy of his elite goal-scoring form this season, something that has garnered him a lot of praise, it is not just the opinionated plaudits that have made their way to him. Instead, it would appear that the young Spaniard has reached a point where he is compared to some of the best to have ever played the game.
As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, the young Spaniard is now statistically close to one of Barça unforgettable midfielders. Cesc Fabregas, a former Barcelona icon, had a tally of 13 goals in the 2013/2014 season, and ever since then, no player has been able to even come properly close to those numbers.
However, Fermin Lopez has managed to end his season with just two goals less than Fabregas’s 13. Yet, the most impressive part of this is not just the fact that Lopez is a young player aged only 21 years old, but the fact that he managed this goal-scoring tally in close to half the time it took Fabregas to do the same in that season.
During this campaign, it took Lopez 1900 minutes to reach the tally that he did. On the other hand, it took Fabregas 3766 minutes back in 2013/2014 to score 13 goals in total. Be it by direct comparison, it is only further mind-boggling to see just how dangerous and efficient Fermin Lopez is.
Even for Xavi Hernandez, the departing Barcelona coach, Lopez is truly a special player:
“He is a very high-level player and if he believes it, he will be at Barça for many years. I would take him to war. A wonderful person. He has ambition. He is a professional, and hardworking. He is a footballer who is a treasure.”
Despite barely finding any continuity this season, Lopez has been a danger to all his opponents. It remains to be seen how Hansi Flick chooses to make use of Fermin Lopez, but it goes without saying that the 21-year-old is a truly exceptional talent irrespective of whether he is given enough time or not to make an impact, because he ends up doing so regardless.
