Without a doubt, one of the names of the summer at Barça will be that of Fermín López. In a season in which Barcelona has shone brightly under Hansi Flick, winning three titles, there have been individuals who have stood out from the crowd. Important and undisputed names, but also supporting actors who have grown exponentially in the minutes they have enjoyed, taking advantage of them to shine, as has been the case with the Huelva-born player.
A great end to the season
The season has been full of small flashes of brilliance from the Barça player, but he has undoubtedly gained importance in recent weeks by earning a starting place in several key games for the league title, in which he has not failed to score, becoming the star of the show and making his market value skyrocket.
Specifically, he is enjoying a final stretch of the season with an average of one goal per game. In the defeat against Villarreal, Fermín found the net for the third time in the last four games. In fact, he scored a fourth goal, one per game, but his goal against Real Madrid in El Clásico, which decided LaLiga, was disallowed and did not count.
A summer without painful sales?
In recent summers, Barça has struggled in the transfer window due to financial problems and the salary cap, which meant that just a few months ago Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor had to be registered thanks to a precautionary measure by the CSD. LaLiga’s accusations that they still had no salary cap for this summer, in which not only signings but also renewals are a concern, have worried Barcelona fans, but Laporta was quick to send a message of reassurance.
“Fair play is set by LaLiga at the end of the season depending on budgets. We will bring in €950 million this year. Next season, the budget will exceed €1 billion. We are confident that we will be at 1:1. This makes it much easier for Deco to work,“ said the Barça president. He added that ”last season we closed with positive results and that helped us a lot. Above all, it is easier for Deco to work with 1-1 than with 1-4.”
The president’s words suggest that no painful sales beyond those already planned will be necessary. However, there are several players from the so-called B team who are attracting a lot of interest in the market, and if a strong offer comes in, we will have to see what the president’s final decision is.
Fermín’s suitors
One of those players is Fermín López who, as we said, is having a great end to the season that is attracting a lot of interest from the major European leagues, with the Premier League at the forefront. Teams such as Manchester United and Bayern Munich are willing to invest money in the player, as is Guardiola’s Manchester City, who knows La Masía well and is familiar with the talent produced at Can Barça.
In addition, Chelsea has also emerged as an option for the Huelva-born player in recent days. The English side would also be willing to go all out and, given the financial power of the English league, it could be enough to convince Laporta to let the player go in the coming months.
Inter joins the bidding
In addition to the financial power of the Premier League, Barça’s Champions League nemesis has also joined the bidding, according to the website Calciomercato.it. The Milanese club wants a reliable replacement for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who is already 36 years old and whose contract expires in 2026, and believes that the Barça player would be a very good option to fill that role, either this summer or next season. For now, they are focused on lifting the Champions League trophy on May 31.