Fermin Lopez's Barcelona glow up, and how the club almost lost him – twice

Barcelona’s 22-year-old midfielder Fermin Lopez is enjoying the most prolific season of his young career, yet only 18 months ago the club were ready to let him leave – and twice came close to doing so.

In August 2022, Fermin was judged surplus to requirements for Barça Atlètic and dispatched on loan to third-tier Linares Deportivo. The Andalusian side, based in Spain’s olive heartland, provided a rustic backdrop for a player who had arrived at La Masia as a 13-year-old in 2016 but had never been rated a top prospect.

A casual gift of olive oil to then-manager Xavi Hernández changed everything. Xavi’s Linares friend raved about the on-loan teenager, prompting the coach to monitor his progress. Forty appearances, 12 goals and four assists later, Fermin had helped Linares finish sixth, just outside the promotion places, while Barcelona reclaimed the Liga title.

Impressed, Xavi invited Fermin to first-team training in the summer of 2023. With only a year left on his contract and Segunda División clubs circling, Barcelona could have cashed in. Instead, Xavi blocked any sale, handed the 20-year-old a place on the U.S. pre-season tour, and watched him announce himself with a dazzling left-footed strike and an assist in a 3-0 Clásico win over Real Madrid.

A senior debut at Villarreal followed on 27 August 2023; 48 hours later, Fermin signed an extension containing a €400 million release clause. By season’s end he had 11 goals and one assist in 43 matches, mostly from the bench, and earned a maiden Spain cap before starring in the Olympic gold-medal campaign in Paris.

Under new coach Hansi Flick in 2024-25, Fermin’s role evolved into that of a high-impact substitute. Ten assists and eight goals in 46 games were encouraging, but injuries to Dani Olmo, Raphinha and Pedri, plus Flick’s tactical tinkering, have unlocked another level.

Deployed variously as an advanced midfielder or drifting left-sided forward, Fermin has already registered 10 goals and 12 assists in 29 appearances this term, averaging a goal contribution every 82 minutes – the best rate in the squad ahead of Lamine Yamal’s 99.6. He has started all seven Champions League matches for which he was fit and begun 10 Liga games compared with seven substitute outings.

The new prominence has not gone unnoticed. Last August, Chelsea lodged a €40 million bid that Barcelona immediately rejected. On 21 January, Fermin answered with a Champions League brace against Slavia Prague in sub-zero temperatures; within days, he agreed to extend his contract from 2029 to 2031, doubling his salary.

After the Prague victory, Flick grinned: “Today he’s the MVP. And Chelsea wanted to sign him. It’s a good thing he didn’t leave, right? He lives for Barça.”

From an unwanted loanee in Andalusia to Barcelona’s most productive attacker, Fermin Lopez’s glow-up is complete – and the club are relieved they did not let him slip away, not once but twice.