Barcelona reach agreement on new contract with Chelsea target | OneFootball

Barcelona are set to sign a new deal with Fermin Lopez in the coming weeks, in an attempt to lock down his future for the next few seasons. The 22-year-old has become one of Barcelona’s most reliable players under Hansi Flick, and is now competing for a starting spot.

There was not unanimity that everyone at the club believed this in the summer, with the door left open to a move. Chelsea came in with an offer for Fermin Lopez, which the Spain international ended up declining in order to remain at Barcelona. However with Chelsea’s interest reportedly continuing, and Lopez’s form demonstrating that last season was not a flash in the pan, Barcelona are in talks for a new deal.

Barcelona reach verbal agreement with Fermin Lopez

Image via Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images

According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona have now reached a verbal agreement with Lopez and his agents over a new deal. It will extend his current contract, which runs until 2029, by another two years. It is expected that it will include a significant wage rise on what he was earning too, with the signature potentially coming in the next week or two.

Fermin Lopez’s impressive season

During the second half of last season, Lopez impressed in the absence of Dani Olmo at times, who was in and out with injury. Despite at no point being a guaranteed starter, he finished last year with eight goals and 10 assists in his 46 appearances. Already he has improved those statistics, scoring 10 and assisting 10 in his 25 appearances, putting up an impressive goal contribution average of one every 77 minutes.

It has put Olmo, a €55m investment on behalf of the club, under pressure for his position. Injuries to Raphinha and Pedri have meant that both have had consistent minutes when fit, but Flick will have some difficult decisions on his hands in the final stretch of the season.