Chelsea could go for an attacking midfielder’s signing in January after they missed out on Xavi Simons in the summer, who joined Tottenham Hotspur from RB Leipzig, despite agreeing to personal terms with the Blues.
Barcelona star Fermin Lopez has been considered by the Londoners and although an offer was made to the La Liga giants as well as the player, a transfer for him did not materialise during the summer transfer window.
According to El Nacional (h/t Sport Illustrated), Chelsea believe their offer to Barcelona and Lopez is ‘too good’ for them to deny, and if the player’s game time does not show promising signs in the next few months, they will attempt his signing in the winter.
Fermin Lopez has been valued by Barcelona at £60 million, and while it is not known how much Chelsea have offered most recently, the player has stated that he is happy at the club and Hansi Flick also wants him to stay put.
January move a high possibility
In the three La Liga matches which Barcelona have played this season, Fermin Lopez came off the bench on two occasions to play a collective 73 minutes and was an unused substitute in their win over Levante away from the home.
His lack of minutes at the start of the campaign also cost him a berth in Luis de la Fuente’s squad for Spain’s World Cup qualifiers this month, and with the event set to take place next year, the player has to play regularly to be considered for selection.
With the Champions League getting underway next week and Barca effectively playing matches every three days, it will be interesting to see whether or not there is any improvement to Fermin Lopez’s situation at the club until January.
Chelsea will obviously keep a close tab of the situation and if there is nothing to hint at the 22-year-old not finding consistency at Barcelona, the Blues will undoubtedly look to attempt his signing during the winter.
