Fermín López faces his second season in the FC Barcelona first team with the aim of consolidating himself in the squad after a debut year in which he went from being a surprise to a reliable presence.
However, the player The Masia He has seen his minutes reduced significantly in recent games, while his performances in La Liga matches have also not been up to par.
While he remains a player who offers a lot with his versatility, the Spaniard has struggled to find his place under Hansi Flick, particularly following the return of Gavi, who is now the German’s preferred option for the attacking midfield role.
season summary
So far this season, Fermín López has played 717 minutes, in 19 games in all competitions, scoring one goal (against Red Star in the UEFA Champions League) and providing three assists.
The 21-year-old has primarily been used as a number 10 (eight games), while he has also played five games as a winger (four on the left and one on the right). However, of the 19 appearances this term, the The Masia The midfielder has only started seven times.
Last season, under the command of former coach Xavi Hernández, he played much more playing time, as he played 43 games (19 as a starter), accumulated 1,948 minutes and scored 11 goals, which made him a key player.
Fermín’s recent descent in minutes
Fermín missed several games in the early stages of the season, first due to his participation in the Olympic Games and then due to injury. But there was a stretch between mid-October and December when he played regularly with Flick.
However, in recent weeks, Fermín has only appeared in two of the last four games, both coming off the bench.
After starting and completing 90 minutes against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey, he was sent to the bench for the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup against Athletic Club, replacing Lamine Yamal in the 63rd minute. The Spaniard did not participate in the final against Real Madrid.
Fermín started again from the bench in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey match against Real Betis, where he played less than 20 minutes after replacing Gavi.
In the first league game of the year, in Getafe, Fermín did not play at all, even though Barcelona needed to inject energy into their game.
Flick used all three substitution windows available (introducing Frenkie de Jong at half-time, Dani Olmo in the 60th minute and Ferran Torres in the closing stages), leaving two substitutions unused.
Fierce competition
It’s clear that competition for Fermín’s positions is fierce, and other players, like Pablo Torre, are also feeling the effects.
Even the star signing of the season, Dani Olmo, has struggled to secure a regular starting spot, especially after Gavi’s return to form in recent games.
As such, it remains a difficult challenge for Fermín to find consistent playing time, despite constantly contributing when called upon and adding a unique dimension to Barcelona’s game.