Barcelona appear to have unearthed another rough gem in 20-year-old midfielder Fermin Lopez, after the youngster put in a brilliant performance in El Clasico.
Starting just his fourth professional match, Lopez gave Toni Kroos a serious headache in the first half, hitting the post in the process. This comes after he also started against Shakhtar Donetsk, and was arguably Barcelona’s best player, scoring, hitting the post twice, and having a goal disallowed for offside.
According to Diario AS, Xavi Hernandez has told Lopez that he will no longer be dropping down to the Barca Atletic side with Rafael Marquez, as he considers him a first-team player now.
They go on to remark that Spain manager Luis de la Fuente is well aware of just how good Lopez has been, and is considering a first call-up for their November matches against Cyprus and Georgia.
Fermin’s rapid rise to prominence proves the value of preseason. Lopez impressed Xavi in training, which persuaded the Blaugrana coach to take him on their preseason tour to the USA. The 20-year-old scored against Real Madrid in a preseason friendly, and was on the fringes of the senior side from then on.
