Chelsea have been very active in the transfer window this summer, but they’re not done yet.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have officially sent in a formal bid for highly rated Barcelona attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez.
The Blues are willing to pay around €40 million (£36.6m) for the 22-year-old midfielder who has emerged as a target after the club missed out on Xavi Simons.
Lopez is a versatile attacking midfielder who can play off the left flank, as a number 10, or as a false nine.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has previously hinted that he would like to play with two no.10s in the starting line-up, so Lopez would link up with Cole Palmer behind a striker.
The Spanish midfielder caught the eye last season, scoring six goals and weighing in with a further five assists in 26 La Liga outings despite struggling to nail down a permanent spot in the starting line-up.
He scored eight goals and provided 10 assists across all competitions, and despite being used as a squad option, he’s still considered a key player by Barca manager Hansi Flick.
Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Lopez after sanctioning Christopher Nkunku’s move to AC Milan in a deal worth around €42m (£36m).
The Frenchman’s exit left a gap in Chelsea’s options in attacking midfield, and the Blues want Lopez to fill that void. However, luring him away from Barca will not be a cakewalk.
Barca understand that cashing in on Lopez will significantly ease their financial situation, but they consider him a key part of their long-term project.
The Blaugranas are not actively looking to sell and would only consider a deal if the player himself asks to leave the club. If that happens, Barca will demand a fee closer to €60m (£52m).
Reports from Spain claim that Chelsea are pushing hard to sign Lopez in the next few days.
Flick has already made it clear that he expects the midfielder to remain at Barca, so it remains to be seen how the saga develops in the coming days.