Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez is reportedly attracting interest from Aston Villa ahead of the summer transfer window.
Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Everton are reportedly admirers of Lopez, who debuted in La Liga under Xavi earlier this season, according to the Spanish publication SPORT.
The 20-year-old has made 32 appearances for Barca in all competitions, scoring three goals in 22 league games.
Having participated in six of the team’s eight European games this season, he has also netted two goals in the Champions League.
Aston Villa want Barcelona midfielder
Lopez, who has only started seven La Liga games this season, will have a difficult time unseating either Gavi or Pedri, who are 19 and 21 years old, respectively.
Barcelona are not short of options when it comes to the midfield with abundance of young talent at Xavi’s disposal.
Because of this, there have been rumours that Villa are one of the teams watching Lopez as he gets closer to his formative years.
The report in SPORT goes on to say that despite growing attention from other places, he is content at Barcelona and is only focused on thriving there.
Aston Villa will find it difficult to sign the youngster
Lopez and Barca agreed a deal in August 2023 that would tie him to the Catalan team till 2027. He has a massive €400 million release clause in his contract.
The path to fame for Lopez has not been without difficulties. In August 2023, following an impressive loan stint at Linares Deportivo, he made his La Liga debut.
His performances have drawn interest from clubs in England and across Europe.
Lopez is committed to leaving his mark at Barcelona, even in the face of advances from the Premier League.
Despite Pedri and Gavi’s potential return to full fitness, he has stated his passion for the team and his intention to start every game. This might make leaving in the summer transfer window highly unlikely.