Apart from a frustrating spell in November, Barcelona have pulled out all the stops this season, but there have been exceptions to the rule in Hansi Flick's free-scoring side. Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati have had a difficult time, both with injury problems in the background, and Fermin Lopez has also not kicked on as hoped.
Lopez was named Player of the Tournament at the Paris Olympics, but suffered a hamstring injury in early September, which kept him out for a month. Since then he has made thirteen appearances, scoring once and assisting twice in the Champions League. Although he has yet to make his mark on the scoresheet in La Liga in just 308 minutes.
During an MD column, Xavier Bosch advised Fermin not to let the pressure influence him, given his frustration with recent missed opportunities. At the same time, Bosch notes that despite the return of Gavi and the signing of Dani Olmo, he will have plenty of opportunities. Perhaps the most striking part of the article, however, is when he asks manager Hansi Flick to 'stop Fermin's departure in the winter so that Barcelona can make money', just as Xavi Hernandez prevented his departure two summers ago.
It should be noted that there has been no other talk about Barcelona selling Lopez in the short term, and he recently extended his contract until 2029, but it is a sentence that raises the eyebrows of a veteran Barcelona journalist. Especially in light of Barcelona's ongoing financial problems, where they are struggling to find a way to sign Olmo.
This domestic season, FBRef says his shots per match stats have dropped by 0.52, and his shots on target per match have dropped by 0.9. Additionally, his shot creation actions have dropped from 2.61 per game to 0.88. Likewise, it's worth noting that his lack of goals comes from an expected goals rating of just 0.21.
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