Barcelona Sets £335m Price Tag for Midfielder Fermin Lopez After Rejecting Chelsea’s £29.3m Bid

Barcelona has reportedly informed Chelsea that they must meet the £335 million release clause for midfielder Fermin Lopez after rejecting a £29.3 million offer from the Premier League club.

Fermin joined Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy at the age of 13, arriving from Real Betis. He made his first-team debut last August following a successful loan spell with Linares Deportivo during the 2022/23 season.

Fermin came off the bench in a thrilling 4-3 La Liga victory against Villarreal.

The 21-year-old capitalized on the club’s injury troubles to make 42 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring 11 goals and providing one assist.

His impressive performances earned him a spot in Luis de la Fuente’s squad for the European Championship, following his Spain debut in a friendly against Andorra in June.

Despite being an unused substitute in most of Spain’s Euro 2024 fixtures, except for a group-stage match against Albania, Fermin’s club form has drawn significant attention from Premier League clubs, including Chelsea.

Chelsea, under a Todd Boehly-led consortium, has spent over £1 billion on new players since the 2022 summer transfer window.

The club has already been active this summer, securing signings of Omari Kellyman, Marc Guiu, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Renato Veiga for a combined £65 million. Next on their list is Barcelona’s promising playmaker, Fermin.

However, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has rejected Chelsea’s initial bid of €35 million (£29.3 million), insisting that any interested club must meet the player’s €400 million (£335 million) release clause.

Laporta is adamant about not negotiating a lower fee, as new head coach Hansi Flick considers Fermin an essential part of his plans.

Aston Villa and Manchester United have also shown interest, with both clubs presenting offers for the young midfielder. Nevertheless, Laporta’s firm stance on the release clause allows Flick to remain confident in retaining Fermin, whom Chelsea co-owner Boehly views as a “luxury reinforcement.”

As Arsenal and other clubs continue their pre-season preparations, the transfer market remains active, with significant moves and negotiations likely to unfold in the coming weeks.