Dressing room rift could impact €70m Fermin Lopez move to Chelsea | OneFootball

Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez is reportedly considering an exit from the club late on in the transfer window. Chelsea have shown interest in Lopez, and would provide both a wage rise for the player, and salary limit relief for Barcelona.

According to recent reports, Lopez is seriously considering a switch to Chelsea. Barcelona would demand a fee of €70m, while the Blues would likely double his salary if not more. One of the major factors in Fermin’s decision is based on the competition for places, and his desire for a bigger role. He was hurt by Flick’s decision to opt for Raphinha out of position ahead of him against Levante last weekend, and more disappointed when he did not get on in the second half. The fact the club has so publicly touted his sale has also impacted the La Masia product.

Dressing room spat could also be a factor

Another factor could be his relationships in the dressing room. Marca say that in recent months Fermin has distanced himself from some of his lifelong friends from La Masia, and may also have had an impact. Rumours and speculation mounted after Lopez posted a confusing statement on his Instagram back in July about ‘bad people’ and betrayal’.

Image via Judit Cartiel/Getty Images

Alejandro Echevarria involved in move

Meanwhile Joan Fontes has posted on his social media that Lopez has been involved in a dressing room spat, and that the other person involved in the matter asked advisor Alejandro Echevarria to transfer Lopez, encouraging the club to accept an offer from the Premier League. In a prior post, Fontes indicates that captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen was in fact the person that did his best to resolve the matter, accompanying with a photo of Lopez and midfielder Gavi, who would fit the profile described by Marca above.

Who is Alejandro Echevarria?

Echevarria is the former cousin-in-law of President Joan Laporta, but has been involved in the club for multiple decades now acting as an unpaid ‘fixer’ and advisor for the president of the club. Frequently attributed heavy influence on the club’s decision-making, Echevarria is regularly seen at the club offices, despite not being elected by the club members or officially employed.