FC Barcelona Fears First Team Star Might Leave This Summer
FC Barcelona fears that its midfielder Fermin Lopez might be tempted to leave the club this summer ... More amid interest from the likes of Premier League giant Chelsea and the Saudi Pro League according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
FC Barcelona fears that its midfielder Fermin Lopez might be tempted to leave the club this summer amid interest from the likes of Premier League giant Chelsea and the Saudi Pro League according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
Once seeming as though he was on borrowed time in Blaugrana when shipped out on loan to lowly Linares, Fermin pulled his socks up and impressed then-head coach Xavi Hernandez upon returning to Catalonia in the summer of 2023.
He was swiftly taken on a preseason tour of the United States where he scored a screamer in a Dallas friendly against Real Madrid, and hasn't looked back since as a regular part of the furniture under Xavi's successor Hansi Flick.
In a domestic treble-winning season where he scored eight times and provided 10 assists on his way to a maiden La Liga title, Fermin was also impressive in landmark wins against the likes of Bayern Munich in the Champions League and proved Flick's best alternative when the German's first choice CAM in Dani Olmo was frequently injured.
It's no surprise that Chelsea came in with a $80 million (€70 million) for him according to El Chiringuito, with Mundo Deportivo further explaining that the west London club suggested a part exchange deal that would have sent Fermin to the English capital yet had Christopher Nkunku heading in the opposite direction to its Catalan counterpart.
Barca rejected those suggestions but reportedly fears a 'mess' unfolding with the 22-year-old.
The club itself has no intention of showing Fermin the door, which can't be said about players such as captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ansu Fati and Pablo Torre.
However if Fermin gets his head turned by the riches of the Premier League and Saudi Arabia and explicitly asks to leave for economic reasons or other sporting projects that allow him more protagonism, President Joan Laporta might not stand in his way.
Barca doesn't think this will happen, with Fermin a much-loved presence in the locker room who 'has the total confidence of Hansi Flick' and 'feels the colours" of an outfit who he has played for since being a child scouted by La Masia.
At the same time, however, it is an awfully crowded competition when it comes to minutes in midfield at FC Barcelona. Fermin is fighting not just with Dani Olmo in CAM but also with close friend Gavi while Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casado and now Marc Bernal look for prominence a little further back.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ilia Topuria Confirms Interest In Becoming First UFC Triple Champion
Ilia Topuria Confirms Interest In Becoming First UFC Triple Champion originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will chase history as he squares off against Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317, taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 28. The Spaniard is on a generational run in the promotion, vying to add his name to the list of UFC champions who have won belts in multiple divisions. Advertisement The undefeated Topuria, who vacated his 145-pound title to chase lightweight gold, has now set his sights on an even grander prize. Ilia Topuria holds the UFC Featherweight Championship during a press conference.(via Zuffa LLC) During a pre-fight press conference ahead of his UFC 317 clash with Oliveira, Topuria declared he would be interested in a potential welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev. Topuria told media members in attendance, 'If Islam becomes the welterweight world champion, for sure I'm going to push for that shot also.' While he has teased a potential run at welterweight in the past, this time he has verbally confirmed he wants to challenge for a championship belt in a third division, a feat that has never been accomplished in UFC history. Advertisement At the top of his mind, the main goal is to secure that coveted fight against Makhachev that has alluded him for so long. Topuria has previously accused Makhachev of avoiding a potential lightweight bout, branding him a coward and claiming that the Dagestani fighter is running from the challenge. 'If he wins the title, and I win the title in the lightweight division, maybe I move up or he comes down to the lightweight division and we have the fight that everyone wants to see,' Topuria clarified further. Topuria also expressed his frustration at the fact that he is not currently lined up with Makhachev, and must face Oliveira instead, saying, 'To be honest, I wanted to face [Makhachev] because he was the guy who was dominating everyone in that weight division. But at the end of the day, I can't control what they do.' Despite his words about Makhachev, Topuria notes that he must remained focused on his upcoming fight with Oliveira. Advertisement 'Every fight is a huge challenge,' Topuria said regarding the difficulty of fighting Oliveira compared to Makhachev. 'There are no easy fights when you get on this level.' Related: UFC Champion Sounds Off on Joe Rogan Podcast: Refuses to Fight Unless Dana White Books Dream Matchup Related: 'Big Mouth!' 'Coward!' Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev Trade Brutal Insults On Social Media This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson apologizes for red card in Club World Cup loss to Flamengo
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nicolas Jackson apologized to Chelsea fans after he was sent off with a red card during the team's 3-1 loss to Flamengo in the Club World Cup on Friday. Trailing the Brazilians 2-1, the striker was sent off in the 68th minute with a straight red just four minutes after replacing Liam Delap for a studs-up tackle on Flamengo defender Ayrton Lucas. 'I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card ... and honestly, I'm so angry at myself,' he wrote on Instagram. 'I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this situation.' The red means that the Senegalese international won't be available to play on Tuesday when Chelsea faces Esperance with a spot in the round of 16 on the line. Jackson was also shown a red card last month in Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Newcastle. 'It happened against Newcastle and it happened today. Probably today I am not 100 percent sure it's a red card compared to the Newcastle one,' Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said. 'So it's a little bit of a bad moment for Nico in this kind of things.' FIFA could give Jackson a longer suspension if it chooses to review the tackle. 'I'll reflect, I'll grow and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me,' Jackson concluded his post. 'Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.' ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Flamengo floor Chelsea at Club World Cup, Bayern face Boca
Flamengo's Bruno Henrique celebrates with teammate Leo Pereira after scoring the Brazilian side's equaliser against Chelsea in Philadelphia (FRANCK FIFE) Flamengo produced a brilliant second-half fightback to beat Chelsea 3-1 at the Club World Cup on Friday as the Brazilian giants became the first team to qualify for the last 16 at FIFA's lucrative new tournament. Pedro Neto had given Chelsea the lead in the first half but Flamengo, roared on by their frenzied supporters who made up the majority of the 54,019 crowd in Philadelphia, did not deserve to be behind and battled back in the second half. Advertisement Bruno Henrique came off the bench in the 56th minute and equalised just after the hour mark before setting up former Real Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus defender Danilo to make it 2-1. Chelsea were stunned, and their hopes of pulling level again were effectively destroyed when substitute Nicolas Jackson was sent off in the 68th minute for a dangerous tackle on Ayrton Lucas. Wallace Yan, also on as a substitute, then sealed the victory for the Rio de Janeiro club, the Brazilian league leaders, when he made it 3-1 late on. "It was a special day for me and our club," said Flamengo coach Filipe Luis, a former Chelsea player. Advertisement "We knew we would have chances against Chelsea, because we have one way to play and they know how to follow that path. "I am really happy with the game, but it is just one win. Now we have to think about the next game and try to go through this group phase, because it is not easy." Flamengo have won both matches in Group D and their place in the knockout phase was confirmed later when Esperance of Tunisia defeated Los Angeles FC 1-0 in Nashville. Youcef Belaili scored the only goal of the game in the 70th minute in front of a sparse crowd that included Nicole Kidman. LAFC were last-minute qualifiers after beating Club America of Mexico in a play-off following the decision to ban Leon for violating rules on multi-club ownership. The Major League Soccer side cannot now progress any further. Advertisement - Another weather delay - Chelsea and Esperance now each have three points from two games and their meeting in Philadelphia next Tuesday will decide which team joins Flamengo in advancing. "We expected a tough game because Flamengo is a very good team, with good players and a good manager," said Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca. "They play very well, and in Brazil they are top of the league, unbeaten for many games, so it was not a surprise for us." Flamengo's win followed Botafogo's stunning success against European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, stretching the unbeaten record for South American clubs at the competition to nine matches. Advertisement A tough test lies in wait for another South American representative, however, as Boca Juniors take on Bayern Munich in Miami in Group C. Bayern, who hammered New Zealand's Auckland City 10-0 in their opening game, can clinch qualification for the last 16 by beating the Argentinians. Earlier, Benfica crushed Auckland 6-0 in Orlando to boost their own hopes of progressing and eliminate the one Oceania representative at the tournament. Angel Di Maria's two penalties bookended the victory for the Portuguese side, with Leandro Barreiro scoring a brace while Vangelis Pavlidis and Renato Sanches got their other goals. Advertisement The game was the fourth in the past four days to be hit by a weather delay. With Benfica leading by a goal at half-time, the match was interrupted because of a storm, eventually resuming two hours later. "This is the longest game of my career, a special thanks to our fans, who have been here for five hours supporting the team," said Benfica coach Bruno Lage. "We played as well as we could. The temperature made it very difficult." as/sev
