Stamford Bridgeplaceholder image
Stamford Bridge | Getty Images
Chelsea will get the chance to bolster their squad when the summer transfer window opens up
Chelsea made an ‘important’ offer for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez last summer, says their ex-board member Juan Soler. The Blues weren’t able to lure him away from Spain though and he stayed put. His contract in La Liga runs until June 2031 so he has plenty of time left to run down.
Soler has said, as per Spanish news outlet Sport: “There was a very important offer for Fermín from Chelsea this (last) summer, but the player didn’t want to leave, and we didn’t want to sell.”
Chelsea made approach for Barcelona star Fermin Lopez last year
Chelsea could have seen Lopez as someone to boost their midfield department. If he joined, he could have injected more quality into their options in the middle of the park. In addition, he would have battled it out with the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez for a place in their starting XI.
Lopez, 22, has been a key player for Barcelona this season. He has made 32 appearances in all competitions, 19 of which have come in the league, and he has chipped in with 11 goals and 12 assists. Time will tell whether the Blues will rekindle their interest in him at some point down the line.
The Spain international, who has five caps to his name, has been on the books of his current club since 2016. Prior to his move, he spent time in the academy at Real Betis. He has since played 120 matches altogether, finding the net on 30 occasions.
What next for Chelsea in the Premier League?
Chelsea are back in action in the Premier League this weekend with an away trip to Arsenal. They drew 1-1 with Burnley at home last time out. Speaking afterwards, Liam Rosenior said: “Set plays are massive in the Premier League, they're so important.
“Our record this season, defending set plays, is not to the level which is required for us to achieve what we want to achieve and that's something I need to address. I felt the only way Burnley were going to score in that moment was from a (James) Ward-Prowse set play. I've tried to go as big as possible. Reece (James) was stretching and I wanted to make sure I protected him. Pedro Neto was stretching, I needed to protect him. We had enough on the pitch to deal with that moment and we didn't. And this cost us two more points.”
Continue Reading