According to Diario Sport, Barcelona hopes to sign a striker in the final two weeks of the summer. Fermín López spoke about Javier Álvarez, the competition for striker positions within the team, and his own future.
In an interview with ARA newspaper, Fermín Lopez was asked about the possibility of Álvarez joining Barcelona. He believes Álvarez would be a good fit for Barcelona, but did not elaborate further.
“I like him, he’s a great player, but he’s an Atlético Madrid player after all. I can’t say much more. All I can say is that, given our current style of play, he would be a great fit for us, of course,” said the player from El Campillo.
The Andalusian player also stated that there are already "many goal-scoring players" in the Barcelona dressing room who can also play center forward. This includes himself: "Who will play number 9? I don't know, but Gordon can also play center forward. There's also Olmo, Rafinha, and me… I can adapt, yes. I played false nine in Barcelona's youth academy. This position is very close to my favorite attacking midfielder. I can also play on the left wing, but my best form is still attacking midfielder."
Fermín also praised Anthony Gordon and Adeyemi, calling them "types we didn't have before" and "two important additions that will bring something different to the team." He also expressed his excitement about Rodri's arrival.
“He is a top player. A Ballon d'Or winner and a World Cup champion. I was his teammate in the national team. He is the best defensive midfielder in the world and will be a great help to us.”
As for the recent signing by Barcelona, he will take over the vacated number 16 jersey and switch to number 7, which was left by Ferran Torres, before the official confirmation.
"Number 7 has always been one of my favorite numbers, and it's the number worn by many great players in our history. Since it became available, I applied for it, and I'm very happy to wear it. I'm a little reluctant to leave number 16 because after several seasons with the first team, I have a special feeling for this number, but I believe it will end up in the right hands..." He said, laughing.
Ferran Torres' departure left him and his teammates feeling regretful. "It was a personal decision. I didn't have all the information, but it's a pity for me because he's always been a great teammate and a good player. I wish him all the best, and I sent him a goodbye message. Did I try to persuade him to stay? That's a personal decision, and if he's happy, I'm happy too." Fermín Lopez was close to a move last summer, with Chelsea showing great interest, but he "was always very clear that he wanted to stay at Barcelona." "It's always good to see other clubs interested and hear them praise you," he said. He then emphasized that he was very comfortable at this "club of his life," especially his good relationship with Flick. "I have a very good relationship with him. Since he took over, he has helped me a lot, both personally and on the pitch. In the last two years, I've improved a lot under his guidance on the field. I'm playing very well now."
This week, *SPORT* also published a report on a turning point in Fermín's life—his loan spell at Jorge Limhales. In an interview with *ARA*, Fermín admitted that he "thought he would never return to Barcelona." "I was already thinking about other things, about continuing to develop, maybe playing in the Segunda División, but I never thought about returning to Barcelona and becoming a first-team player. That experience helped me a lot. I scored a lot of goals and improved a lot."
He also admitted that missing the World Cup due to injury and having to watch it on TV was not an easy summer for him. "It was tough. It was my dream, and I was in my best form at the time, but I've moved on. You learn a lot when you're injured. You feel lonely, isolated, and you cherish every day and the fact that you're healthy enough to be on the field. That was the best lesson I learned from those months. Now, I just want to do what I want to do again."
