Chelsea are stepping up their interest in Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez.
According to Spanish news outlet SPORT, the Blues have submitted a new offer for the attacking midfielder as they look to complete a deal before Monday’s deadline.
A couple of days ago, reports from Spain claimed that Chelsea had submitted an initial proposal worth €58 million (£50m) for the exciting attacker.
Barca were said to be mulling over the offer even though they consider Lopez to be a key part of their long-term sporting project and an important player for Hansi Flick.
Chelsea have reportedly stoked the fire even more, with SPORT claiming they have now increased their bid to €65m (£56m) to get the deal over the line.
It’ll be interesting to see how Barca respond to the offer, considering their precarious financial situation.
An immediate injection of funds would be hard for the Blaugranas to ignore, as it would help them register some of their new signings.
Chelsea’s interest in Lopez came out of the blue, but they’re keen to bring the dazzling 22-year-old attacking midfielder to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Manager Enzo Maresca believes that Lopez fits into his tactical ideas, and the club has even assured the player that he would be given a central role from day one.
Both Barca and Lopez are reportedly considering the proposal and should respond in the coming days.
Barca sporting director Deco and manager Hansi Flick both value Lopez highly, so letting him leave would be a huge setback, even if the cash involved will help to significantly ease their financial troubles.
After coming through the youth set-up, any move for Lopez will count as pure profit, which would help the La Liga champions balance their books.
Lopez has always been clear about his desire to fight for his place at Barca.
But he has only played 45 minutes of first-team football this season and was an unused substitute in Barca’s most recent 3-2 win over Levante.
Chelsea’s proposal would also more than double his current wages in Catalonia.
He currently takes home around €6m (£5.1m) at Barca, but a move to Chelsea will take his salary up to around €15m (£13m) per year.