Chelsea are in talks with Barcelona over a late deal to sign attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez before the window closes, according to Ben Jacobs.
Enzo Maresca has been keen on bolstering his attacking midfield ranks this summer. The Blues were heavily linked with a move for Xavi Simons before deciding to pull the plug on the Dutchman, who is now set to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea now appear to have turned their attention to other options with Lopez emerging as their prime target. The 22-year-old faces the tough decision between fighting for his place in a stacked Barcelona midfield or moving to Stamford Bridge for more playing time.
Jacobs claims that Chelsea are now in talks with Barcelona to try to get a deal done, with Enzo Maresca holding talks with the player to persuade him to move to West London.
While a move is not guaranteed at this stage, the Blues are still actively pursuing the signing of the Spain international, who has held talks again with Maresca, according to the journalist.
Maresca keen on attacking midfield depth
Jacobs also adds that club-to-club talks are now ongoing, with Barcelona demanding a £51m fee to allow him to leave this summer.
Chelsea had tracked Simons for much of the month before Tottenham swooped in late to secure the deal. Interestingly, the Blues never submitted a formal offer to Leipzig for the Dutchman; instead, they shifted their focus toward a move for Lopez.
It appears clear is that Chelsea have developed a stronger preference for the Spaniard and are now hoping to get a deal done before the window closes on Monday evening.
Lopez would offer Maresca’s side a wealth of tactical options, including holding the width on the left, playing as a supporting striker, operating in an advanced midfield role, or dropping to the pivot to help the team maintain possession.
However, reports from the last hours reveal that Chelsea are close to an agreement for Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Blues will still maintain their pursuit of Lopez, as they both play the same positions.