A player Chelsea admire greatly, Fermin Lopez turned down the chance to come to Stamford Bridge in the summer and join Spain teammate Marc Cucurella.
Chelsea had their fingers in many pies this past summer, but one name that kept coming up was Lopez.
A versatile, exciting midfielder with an eye for goal, the Barcelona star would have been a superb addition to Enzo Maresca’s side.
But Lopez turned Chelsea down in favour of remaining with the Blaugrana this season. He has recently spoken about Cucurella, and what comes to his mind when he thinks about his fellow countryman.
What Marc Cucurella’s managers have said about him
“He has been phenomenal. Since I came to the club, his level has been high, not only his defending but also as part of our play with the ball.”
Enzo Maresca
“He’s a great professional, a really mature player…”
Luis de la Fuente
“He just came into the team at Brighton, he solved some problems for us in terms of balance on that left side, but his personality is infectious. He is a real good character around the team, he has got fantastic intensity.”
Graham Potter
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Fermin Lopez describes Marc Cucurella as a teammate
Lopez and Cucurella are key cogs in the Spain side that dominated at the EUROs last year.
When the two met on opposing sides a few weeks ago — Lopez had to take the loss.
Cucurella shut down Lamine Yamal en route to a well-earned Player of the Match award. No one can doubt the Chelsea star’s ability on the pitch, but what about off it?
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella holding Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Chatting with prodirectsoccer on TikTok, Lopez was asked to describe his Spain teammates.
On Cucurella, he bent the rules of the one-word challenge slightly, going for “Class clown”.
No surprise there. Even at Cobham, Cucu is known for being a source of energy for the dressing room.
Door not shut on Fermin Lopez to Chelsea
At least from Chelsea’s side, this move is not being ruled out.
Fabrizio Romano revealed last month that Chelsea have kept Lopez on their transfer shortlist, likely hoping for a change in circumstances at Barcelona to change his mind, or for another financial debacle. It’s one they will want to revisit in the summer.
Chelsea focusing on youth until the summer 👉️
What do you make of BlueCo's recruitment?
After Deinner Ordoñez, Chelsea will sign Mohamed Zongo (one of the main sensations of the last U17 World Cup).
They are building a SUPERTEAM of WONDERKIDS 🔵✨
— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) December 10, 2025
View Tweet
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
He’s a fantastic player. This season, he has six goal involvements in six league starts, and another five in five in the Champions League.
Despite that, Lopez’s place in the side isn’t nailed on. If the 22-year-old continues to shine but struggles for minutes, maybe a Stamford Bridge switch can be revisited.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox