Fermín López's future is in the eye of the storm. The blaugrana midfielder has received an astronomical offer from Chelsea in recent days that could change his life.
Although his will remains the same: to stay at FC Barcelona and establish himself as one of the pillars of Hansi Flick's project.
The London club, according to the newspaper Sport, is willing to multiply the salary he currently receives at Barça. An amount that's hard to ignore for a footballer who's only 22 and who's seen how, suddenly, his name appears on the front line of the international market.
Chelsea's proposal
The same source details that Chelsea has presented Fermín's representatives with a salary proposal of €15 million per year. The figure improves on the €6 million he receives at Barça.
Chelsea is giving him what Barça isn't in a position to offer due to its precarious financial health.
The mere fact of having such a contract on the table has left Fermín astonished. With only two seasons at the elite level, nobody expected a club like Chelsea to bet so strongly on him.
The offer also comes at a delicate moment, with Barça trying to balance its accounts and solve the registration problem in LaLiga.
Fermín's position
Despite the initial impact, the player himself has told those around him that he doesn't want to leave Barça. He'd only agree to leave if the coach, Hansi Flick, told him to his face that he isn't counting on him for the season.
Something that, as of today, is ruled out. Flick sees Fermín as a useful and competitive footballer, capable of providing intensity and arriving from the second line. In addition, the German coach has already publicly warned that he's counting on everyone and doesn't want any departures from his squad.
From the locker room, the message is clear: Fermín has the coach's and his teammates' trust. His departure would weaken the squad, exactly what Flick wants to avoid at all costs.
Laporta, meanwhile, doesn't think the same and is considering the possibility of cashing in on a deal that would allow the club's coffers to breathe.
If he leaves, let it be clear
The footballer himself has made it clear in private conversations. If he ever leaves Barça, it'll be because they've kicked him out, not by his own decision.
That's the image he wants to leave, aware that the culé fans wouldn't forgive him for leaving for money when he's just starting to establish himself.
The "Fermín case" will continue to make headlines as long as Chelsea insists. For now, the youth product remains firm. He knows the Premier League is tempting and that the contract is financially irresistible, although his heart beats blaugrana.