Who is Fermin Lopez? Barcelona's new midfield wonderkid starring in the Champions League

26 Oct 2023 21:11 BST
4 min read

It seems like Barcelona produce a new wonderkid every month and Fermin Lopez it the latest player out of La Masia to make a massive impact on Xavi’s team this season.

Having seen the likes of Gavi, Pedri and Lamine Yamal all break into the first team in recent times, Lopez made his debut for Barcelona this season and is touted as the long-term answer to the team’s midfield conundrum.

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With Barca having long-targeted stars such as Bernardo Silva and Dani Olmo, Lopez’s rise could see the La Liga champions continue to turn to their youth to avoid any further damage to the club’s financial situation.

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Having already starred for Barca both domestically and in the Champions League, Lopez is set to break into the Spanish national team and establish himself as one of football’s brightest young talents.

What position does Fermin Lopez play?

Lopez is primarily a right-footed central midfielder but he has featured throughout his young career as an attacking midfielder as well as a left winger coming inside.

How good is Fermin Lopez?

At 20-years-old, Lopez is perhaps older than anticipated when compared to the likes of Lamal and Gavi and there was not much hype surrounding the youngster during his youth career, having joined Barca’s academy from Real Betis aged 13.

It was only when Lopez went on loan to Linares last season in Spain’s third tier where Barca truly got to see the quality of their young talent as he scored 12 goals in 37 games from midfield.

Lopez’s impressive campaign saw him called up to Barca’s senior squad for pre-season and he attracted global attention when he scored and grabbed an assist against rivals Real Madrid during a friendly, prompting Xavi to confirm after the game that the midfielder would be remaining with the first team for the upcoming season.

And indeed Lopez instantly became a part of the matchday squad, making his debut on the opening day of the 2023/24 season as a substitute against Villarreal while also featuring for the Barcelona’s ‘B’ team, although he was sent off on his debut for them.

Having made his Champions League debut against Royal Antwerp in September, Lopez – fresh off signing a new contract with Barca – came off the bench a few days later to score an equaliser versus Mallorca.

He went on to start three of Barcelona’s next four matches including the Champions League group tie against Shakhtar Donetsk, where Lopez again scored what proved to be the winner.

Lopez has not looked out of place alongside veteran midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu, leading to Spain boss Luis De La Fuente already reportedly making plans to hand him his first cap for the senior squad, having only just made his debut for the under-21 side, where he scored once in two appearances.

Fermin Lopez golazo for Spain U21

What a goal🥵🥵 pic.twitter.com/UAc6ITBY3o
— Laycon😮‍💨 (@Olamilekan11223) October 17, 2023

What clubs are interested in signing Fermin Lopez?

Lopez’s sudden rise to stardom has meant no teams have yet to make a formal approach to Barcelona, in part due to the understanding that the youngster is simply not for sale following his breakthrough into the first team.

When does Fermin Lopez’s contract expire?

Barca handed Lopez a brand new four-year deal at the start of the season, tying him down until June 30th 2027 and inserting a €400 million release clause into his new contract.