Fermin Lopez reveals what he did with his first Barcelona salary

Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez has offered a rare glimpse into the moment he realised football would become his livelihood, tracing the milestone to the summer he returned from loan at Linares and stepped into the club’s first-team orbit. Speaking during a relaxed interview with Miki Nunez—an exchange that also featured former Real Madrid midfielder Guti—Lopez recalled that the professional reality truly hit him at the age of 19 while completing pre-season training with the senior squad. “When pre-season ended I said: ‘This is for real’,” he told Nunez, pinpointing that period as the turning point in his young career.

The conversation, designed to explore the personal journeys of two Spanish midfielders, highlighted contrasting paths. Guti admitted he spent his formative years simply enjoying the game rather than chasing a first-team place, only appreciating the sport’s professional dimension when he signed a contract at 18. Lopez, by comparison, had already begun earning during his youth-team days, an early wage that granted him a measure of financial independence long before his senior breakthrough.

Asked about his inaugural purchase after cashing a Barcelona paycheque, Lopez kept the answer refreshingly modest. “Exactly, an iPhone,” he said with a smile, underscoring a down-to-earth approach to sudden income. The 20-year-old also reaffirmed his long-term ambition, stating unequivocally that “staying at Barcelona is my ultimate dream,” a declaration that will hearten supporters eager to see homegrown talent cement a place in the club’s star-studded midfield.