Fermin Lopez's contract extended to 2031 at Barcelona

Barcelona has officially extended the contract of attacking midfielder, Fermin Lopez, until 2031.

The 22-year-old signed the new contract on Friday (6/2), two years since the last extension that previously tied him to 2029.

"Last week, the extension of Fermin Lopez's contract was announced and on Friday (local time) the official number 16 player signed a new contract that will keep him until 2031," the club said in a statement on its official website.

Fermin is one of the best Barcelona academy graduates in recent seasons. He has been consistent with his goal and assist contributions from midfield, as well as developing into an important figure in the Blaugrana's main squad.

Last summer, Fermin was interested in Chelsea. However, the Spanish player chose to reject the offer in order to stay at Camp Nou.

The English club's interest still exists until now, so Barcelona moved quickly to secure the player's future.

This season, Fermin has been able to maintain his impressive form since the second half of last season.

He even competed directly with Dani Olmo to secure a place in the starting lineup. In this new contract, Fermin is said to have received a salary increase of up to 50 percent, while his release clause remains pegged at 500 million euros.

After signing his new contract, Fermin said he believed he could continue to develop into a better player.

"I don't feel I've reached the limit of my ability. I'm only 22 years old and I'm in good shape, but I want to keep improving and make history with Barca," said Fermin.

Fermin began to attract attention since the 2023 preseason under Xavi Hernandez. However, his performance has increased in the era of coach Hansi Flick.

Previously, he was not projected to be in the main team and had to prove himself through a loan period at third-class club Linares.

"I learned a lot at Linares and Xavi believed in me from the start. The pre-season was very decisive for my career. Now I'm calmer on the pitch and can make better decisions. Hansi gave me a lot of confidence and helped me grow every day," he said.

This season, Fermin Lopez has scored 10 goals and 11 assists from 28 appearances in all competitions.

The record has already surpassed his contribution last season, with an average of one goal contribution every 83 minutes, one of the best in the Barcelona squad.