Chelsea have snubbed the opportunity to sign Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez for €50 million in 2025, as the London side deemed the asking price too steep and chose not to continue negotiations.
The 23-year-old Spaniard's potential move back into the spotlight follows Chelsea's failed pursuit of Lamina Kamara from Monaco. The Blues had aimed to sign the Senegalese player after Enzo Fernandez's transfer to Manchester City, but that deal fell apart in the dying hours of the window.
Journalist Kevin Hatchard has praised Lopez’s development on talkSPORT:
He’s simply phenomenal and yet extremely underrated. If you ask most people to name stars at Barcelona, his name likely won’t be top of their list.
But I think he’s only getting better. Sure, he’s not on the level of Lamine Yamal, but Fermin is a player of very high quality.
Meanwhile, journalist Andy Brassell has likened Lopez's playing style to Chelsea legend Frank Lampard:
I remember Hansi Flick’s first season. I was at the match where they beat Bayern 4-1 in the Champions League. Fermin was head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch, he was incredible.
He does what Frank Lampard was known for, arriving late into the box. And when you think about other players who have done that over the years, technically, he surpasses all of them. His mobility is astonishing and his work rate is equally impressive.
There’s so much to admire about him. It’s remarkable to think he could have been a Chelsea player had the club simply agreed to pay the €50 million when Barcelona desperately needed funds.
However, Chelsea felt they were being asked for more simply because they represent the Premier League. Therefore, the club deemed the price too high and walked away, and we all know how that turned out.
This season, Lopez has hit the ground running with six goal involvements in his first four matches – bagging four goals and providing two assists.
