Chelsea made “important offer” for rising star with 23 G/A – but signed Garnacho and Gittens instead

Chelsea’s summer pursuit of Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez was far more concrete than previously understood, with a senior Camp Nou source confirming that the Premier League club submitted what was described as a “very important offer” for the 22-year-old attacker.

Joan Soler, a former Barcelona board member, told SportWitness that the proposal was firmly rejected on two fronts: “The player didn’t want to leave, and we didn’t want to sell.” The revelation ends months of speculation that linked Lopez to Stamford Bridge and underlines how close the deal came to materialising.

Lopez has since underlined his commitment to his boyhood club by penning a contract extension through 2031 that includes a sizeable release clause, effectively slamming the door on any future Chelsea approach. His decision looks increasingly prudent: in 32 appearances this season the versatile forward has registered 11 goals and 12 assists, giving him a direct hand in 23 goals and establishing him as one of La Liga’s most productive wide creators.

While Chelsea pivoted to other targets, securing Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens to reinforce the flanks, neither recruit has yet delivered the explosive output the club hoped for. By contrast, Lopez’s statistical return has intensified the sense of what might have been for the Londoners, who continue to scour the market for game-changing wide talent.

Chelsea did land Ecuadorian prodigy Kendry Paez in 2023, but his development has stalled, compounding the frustration around the club’s recruitment in the final third. With the battle for a top-five finish tightening, the decision-makers at Stamford Bridge may look back on the Lopez saga as a sliding-door moment in their ongoing rebuild.

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