Chelsea offer €75 million and player as part of deal to sign Barcelona star; La Liga giants make transfer decision: Reports

Barcelona have reportedly turned down Chelsea's €75 million player-plus-cash deal to sign midfielder Fermin Lopez. The 22-year-old has been one of the Blaugrana's key players.

Lopez made his first-team debut in the 2023-24 season and has played nearly 90 matches across competitions in two campaigns, contributing 19 goals and 11 assist. The Spaniard registered eight goals and 10 assists in 46 outings across competitions as Barca won the domestic treble.

Despite being contracted to the Camp Nou till 2029, Lopez has attracted attention from the Blues, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season and won the UEFA Europa Conference League. As per El Chiringuito TV (via Barca Universal), the Blues offered a player-plus-cash offer for Lopez, but it was turned down by the Blaugrana.

The midfielder scored six times and provided five assists in 28 games as Hansi Flick's side ended arch-rivals Real Madrid's La Liga title defence. He also bagged a goal and an assist in six games in their victorious Copa del Rey campaign, where Barca beat Los Blancos 3-2 in extra time in the final.

Lopez's other goal contibutions - one goal and four assists in 11 games - during the season came in the UEFA Champions League, where Barcelona lost 7-6 on aggregate to Inter Milan in the semi-finals following a 4-3 extra time second-leg loss at home.

What's next for Chelsea and Barcelona?

Chelsea are coming off a successful season, with their Conference League triumph making them the first side to win European club football's three major competitions.

The Blues are next in action at the new-look FIFA Club World Cup in the USA, opening their campaign against Leon on June 16. ES Tunis and Flamengo are the other teams in their group.

Meanwhile, Barcelona aren't in action at the tournament due to successive group-stage exits in the previous two European campaigns. As a result, their UEFA co-efficient took a beating. Flick's side will look forward to some well-earned rest in the off-season before the new campaign begins.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav