FC Barcelona: Xavi ready to hand starting debut to young sensation

FC Barcelona manager Xavi is ready to hand a full senior debut to young sensation Fermin Lopez according to reports in Spain.

Barcelona will be looking to continue their fine start to the season against Grenada this weekend, but the starting lineup is set to look a little different.

Xavi will be without Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, Pedri and Robert Lewandowski, with the Polish striker having to leave the 1-0 away win against Porto with a sprained ankle. His replacement on the night Ferran Torres ended up scoring the winning goal.

Fermin Lopez burst onto the scene in the pre-season with a superb strike against Real Madrid during a 3-0 Barca win at AT&T Stadium in Dallas Texas. He then rescued a point for Barcelona against Mallorca in La Liga having come on as a substitute.

Xavi is now ready to give Fermin Lopez his full senior debut against Grenada

After a number of impressive performances off the bench, Xavi is now reportedly ready to unleash Lopez against Grenada, handing the 20-year-old his first senior start this weekend.

Lopez joined Barcelona all the way back in 2016 as a 13-year-old and has worked his way through the ranks. He played extensively with Lamine Yamal at La Masia and they’re already showing signs of that connection on the field.

Some thought that Fermin may be sent on loan this year to gain real first-team experience, but Xavi preferred to keep him around the first team and that decision has been justified.

Barcelona were reportedly interested in signing Giovani Lo Celso from Tottenham this summer, and his profile matches Fermin Lopez’s well. It’s unclear if Barcelona made a move for Lo Celso, but the absence of a signing allowed Lopez to flourish, having made 5 substitute appearances off the bench.

While Barcelona work their way through the financial turbulence, they’ll be relying on contributions from the La Masia academy, so far so good this year.