Chelsea face German side Bayer Leverkusen in their first friendly of the summer on Friday night.
The Blues haven’t yet started their pre-season campaign due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, meaning Enzo Maresca’s side will only face Leverkusen and Italian side AC Milan before the Premier League season begins.
Maresca’s side welcome London rivals Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend of the new season, before travelling to fellow Londoners West Ham United.
This summer the Blues have been busy in the transfer market, with several new signings joining Maresca’s squad while plenty of other players have left Stamford Bridge.
Now, it appears that the club are plotting a bid for a La Liga midfielder.
As reported by CaughtOffside, Chelsea are preparing an offer in the region of £52 million for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez.
The report claims that the Blues are still on the hunt for further additions to Maresca’s squad and those in charge of their recruitment have identified Lopez, 22, as a target.
Lopez has been a regular for Barcelona over the past couple of seasons (Photo: Aflo Co. Ltd/Alamy)
The Spaniard joined Barcelona’s La Masia youth system as a youngster and has since progressed into the first team.
In total he has played 88 times for Barcelona at senior level, scoring 19 goals and registering 11 assists.
Last season he featured 28 times in La Liga as Hansi Flick’s side cruised to the top flight title.
It is claimed that Chelsea’s rivals, Manchester United, are also interested in the two-time Spain international, although the Blues are now hoping to beat the Red Devils to the player’s signature.
The Spaniard’s versatility will likely appeal to interested clubs, with Lopez able to play in a number of roles including as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, or on either flank.
He is currently under contract with Barcelona until the end of the 2028/29 campaign and the report claims that, while those in charge of the Spanish side are split on whether or not to allow him to leave, the club’s financial woes could mean that they are likely to accept a substantial offer.