Barcelona have found a worthy answer to Guler. Xavi’s heir grew up in La Masia

Fermin Lopez (Barcelona B)

Central midfielder | 20 years

Transfer fee: €300,000

Rating | Potential in FIFA 23 – 64 | 77

What’s cool now?

Of all the players in the academy, Xavi quotes two above all: Lamin Yamal (whom we have already written about) and Fermin Lopez. The coach liked the player so much that he even took him with the main team to the pre-season in the USA, promising to attract him during the season and even putting him in the linebacker hierarchy above Frank Kessier. And Lopez shows that expectations were not born out of thin air – going into the second half in the American Clasico, the guy scored 1 + 1.

Why will it be cool in the future?

Lopez will fit perfectly into the football that Xavi is instilling in Barcelona. The midfielder seems stereotypically Spanish (in a good way): great field vision and passing skills are complemented by amazing adaptability, high performance (12 + 4 last season), low injury rate and incredible self-confidence. Perhaps most striking is the graceful technique that allows him to hold and carry the ball even under extreme pressure.

Who does he look like?

So far, Fermin’s path is reminiscent of Gavi: being from the same small town, El Campillo, he also played for a while at the Betis academy, after which he moved to La Masia and quickly went through the entire youth hierarchy, reaching the second team. Like Gavi, he feels comfortable both in the center of the field and on the left flank of the attack, and in a more pronounced attacking role. For a complete repetition of the fate of a friend, it remains only to gain a foothold in the base and win the Golden Boy.

What can get in the way?

The highest competition in the middle line of the Catalans. Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, Gavi, Oriol Romeu – even among these players it is difficult to single out the extra ones. But among the competitors of the second tier there is Frank Kessier, who needs to be given time to sell at least somewhere, and, for a second, team captain Sergi Roberto. In a word, under successful circumstances, Fermin will have the opportunity to prove himself, but if the main backbone spends a year without injuries, there will be frankly few chances to gain a foothold at the start.

Where and why should you move?

Lopez’s contract is expiring very soon and will obviously be renewed as soon as he returns from the pre-season tour. After that, Fermin should try to gain a foothold in the rotation of the main team during the season and, if successful, remain in his native club, in case of failure, look for a direction for a loan. Let’s say that Betis, which traditionally likes to attract people from La Masia, seems to be a good place for a full-fledged disclosure and further return.

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