Chelsea were hoping to get off to a flying start this season, having brought in a number of new faces to the club, including Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Alejandro Garnacho, and a few others. However, that isn’t how their campaign has unfolded so far, as the Blues find themselves in sixth position in the Premier League with just two wins from five matches, and on current form, they seem more likely to slip down than head up the table.
This situation has left Chelsea fans often wondering if the failure to land several of the Blues' targets during the summer is now costing them. On that note, it is widely known that the club showed interest in Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez in the final weeks of the transfer window, but were ultimately unsuccessful in their pursuit of the player.
However, it looks like the club isn’t the one to blame for this. Reports have now emerged suggesting that Chelsea didn’t leave any stones unturned in their pursuit of Lopez.
According to Fichajes (via Caught Offside), Chelsea submitted a very high financial offer to convince Lopez to join the Blues. However, he ended up staying at Barcelona.
Chelsea submitted a mega offer for failed midfield signing in the summer
Lopez, who isn’t a starter in Hansi Flick’s squad as of yet, has recently reiterated his wish to stay at Barcelona and fulfill his contract, which runs until 2029. So, any move for the Spanish international seems far-fetched for Chelsea in the foreseeable future. But you never say never in modern football.
There are reasons to believe that Lopez would have succeeded at Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old has appeared in five matches this season for the Catalan club in all competitions and has scored two goals.
Chelsea have missed the services of Cole Palmer on a few occasions this season. The Blues’ number 10 has been suffering from a groin issue for a few months now. Lopez would have been the perfect replacement for the Englishman on these occasions.
That said, there’s no point overthinking this, as at the end of the day, Lopez remains a Barcelona player. Now, coming back to Chelsea, the club needs to find a way to bring the best out of the newly arrived individuals, some of whom are still struggling to find their footing. The club already possesses a strong squad that is well capable of delivering good results.