It is hard to imagine a Barcelona where their youngsters do not shine as they typically do. With their financial limitations and restrictions, the Catalan giants are already quite frustrated with their transfer options. However, given the elite nature of the Barcelona academy, the young gems have managed to step up.
While most would immediately jump to names such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi as this season’s standouts, and for good reason, someone like Fermin Lopez should not be forgotten either. Through hard work, grit, determination, and even loan spells away from Barcelona, Lopez has finally managed to find his place in the club.
Under Xavi Hernandez this season, he has exploded to life and shown his best qualities. However, while Barcelona have benefited from these qualities, they are not the only ones who took note of them. According to SPORT, there is now genuine interest arising from the English side of football.
Two Premier League clubs, namely Everton and Aston Villa, are reportedly quite interested in Lopez. The 20-year-old midfielder has managed to impress them it seems, and they have already inquired about him to gather information in order to find the best method of pursuing him.
With an active contract that has been renewed until 2027, and an active release clause of €400 million, it will be a tough ask of them however. Liverpool have previously also shown interest, but their Merseyside rivals Everton and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa seem to have much more of a concrete perception of the player’s abilities.
For them, the return of Pedri and Gavi from their respective injuries will further limit Lopez’s playing time. In fairness, this may even be true, as the main reason Fermin is getting the playing time that he is this season is exactly due to the absences in the midfield department.
However, that by no means discredits his own contributions to the team. The young Barcelona pearl is there based on merit and merit alone.
With his two crucial goals against Napoli and Atletico Madrid coming in consecutive games, it is clear to see how exactly this young player has become crucial for Xavi’s side through the contributions that he regularly makes.
Moreover, Lopez himself seems to have no plans of leaving Barcelona anytime soon. His aspirations are to succeed with the first team, and with his prominence continuing to grow, it is easy to see those aspirations become a reality. Barcelona have needed him right now, and he has shown himself to be capable of delivering.
