In a recent report, Sport claimed that Everton are set to rival Aston Villa for Barcelona youngster Fermin Lopez. It has been mentioned that the Toffees are keen on recruiting the Spanish midfield ace in the summer.
Lopez’s Impressive Rise At The Nou Camp
Lopez is enjoying a decent campaign at the Catalan club after he put in a series of impressive performances for them at the centre of the park. The 20-year-old has participated in 32 matches for Barca this season, scoring six goals and grabbing one assist across all fronts.
The Spanish sensation has made most of his appearances off the bench but deserves credit for averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.3 shots and 0.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He was even tidy when distributing the ball from midfield based on his pass completion rate of 83.5% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Catalan club will run out in the summer of 2027. Thus, Everton would have to launch a convincing offer if they are serious about recruiting the Spanish midfield ace.
Is Lopez A Decent Option For Everton?
Lopez is a tough-tackling midfielder who can shoot the ball purely and with venom from long range. He can make a few driving runs with the ball from midfield and can create the odd chance for his teammates in the final third. The Spaniard is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also fill in as an attacking midfielder or as a left-sided wide player if required.
Lopez is enjoying his football at the Catalan club right now. However, he is still quite raw and would need time to cope with the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football if Everton manage to get him on board this summer.
We can expect Lopez to bring more quality and depth to Everton boss Sean Dyche’s midfield department. At 20, the future looks quite promising for the Spanish midfielder as long as he continues to improve with each season. Therefore, Lopez would be an excellent option for the Toffees to pursue in the long run. However, it won’t be easy for the Merseyside club to get a deal done for him as they are currently in a financial crisis.