Chelsea set sights on another Barcelona academy gem after Fermin Lopez snub – report | OneFootball

During the closing stages of the summer window, Chelsea made a serious push to sign Fermin Lopez from Barcelona.

However, the Blaugrana quickly shut down the move, insisting that the midfielder would only leave for offers worth over €90 million – a figure that the Blues were unwilling to pay.

Fermin, for his part, never considered the possibility of a departure either, despite the strong links, while Hansi Flick always maintained that the Spaniard was integral to his plans at the club.

Chelsea turn attention to Marc Bernal

Having been snubbed by Fermin Lopez, Chelsea have now turned their focus to another academy gem from Barcelona in Marc Bernal, reports Fichajes.

The Premier League giants have made it a point to identify and sign top young talents from across the globe and view Bernal as a long-term option to strengthen Enzo Maresca’s squad.

Chelsea like Bernal. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The 18-year-old pivot midfielder recently returned from a serious knee injury that sidelined him for over a year.

In his comeback match against Valencia, Bernal displayed glimpses of his quality, setting up Robert Lewandowski for Barcelona’s sixth goal, that caught the eye of Chelsea’s scouting department.

Bernal not for sale

Despite the interest from Chelsea, Bernal is not for sale. Barcelona have no intentions of parting ways with the teenage wonderkid, whom they consider an integral part of the project.

A renewal agreement until 2029 is already in place and will be signed and formalised soon, and Bernal will slowly be integrated back into the starting lineup by Hansi Flick after his long absence due to an ACL injury.