Fermin Lopez began the season as second choice attacking midfielder. He ended it as the most productive number ten in European football by goal contributions. Fermin Lopez at 22-years-old, has quietly presented a case that very few people are talking loudly enough.
The rise of Fermin Lopez
Fermin joined the first team in July 2023, after spending the 2022/2023 campaign on loan at Linares Deportivo in the third division, where he scored 12 goals in 40 appearances. No one expected him to be a first team regular in just 18 months.
The 2024 Paris Olympics came, he scored twice in the final against France for gold, announced himself to the world, and never looked back.
He followed this up with the Euros with Spain that summer, and La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Barca. Nine major trophies before his 23rd birthday. He will end up with more after this season.
His statistics make him the best
In all club competitions in the 2025-26 season Fermin has played 45 games, scored 13 goals and provided 16 assists. This places him among the highest goal contributions for any attacking midfielder in Europe's top five leagues this season.
He also created 19 big chances, scored 10 goals from inside the box and 3 from outside. He has split his goals 7 right-footed and 6 left-footed. This is an extremely rare two-footed finisher that defenders don't know where is going.
His FotMob percentile rankings for attacking midfielders/wingers:
- Shot attempts: 93rd percentile
- Goals: 87th percentile
- Touches: 86th percentile
- Defensive contribution: 82nd percentile
- Chances created: 70th percentile
In La Liga alone, he adds 63 shots, 22 on target with 6.66 xG, 34 chances created and 15 big chances created over 1664 minutes. His passing accuracy sits at 87.1%
How he fits Flick's system
Arguably the most tactically complete attacking midfielder available at Barca, his 82nd percentile ranking in defensive contribution sets him aside from any attacking midfielder in the world.
Fermin presses, recovers and tackles, then offers a serious threat going forward to either create or score. He can play as attacking midfielder, central midfielder and left-winger and this allows Flick freedom he otherwise doesn't have.
The comparison with his rival
The name often mentioned in discussions about the best attacking midfielder on the planet is:
Bruno Fernandes: He has bagged 8 goals and 19 assists in 2,707 Premier League minutes. These are impressive numbers, however, he has been playing as the main creative spark for Manchester United, and logs considerably more minutes than Fermin.
As a pure attacking midefielder, only Bruno Fernandes has more goal contributions in all of Europe. However, Fermin has achieved his numbers as the second fiddle option in a Barcelona side with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Lewandowski, but is still top among European midfielders.
Fermin's strengths and weaknesses
Strengths:
- Two-footed with goals from inside and outside the box.
- High pressing intensity and defensive contribution for an attacking midfielder.
- Versatility in three different attacking positions
- Big game performer
- Consistent Availability (45 appearances this term)
Weaknesses:
- Aerial ability (34th percentile - not strong)
- Chance creation per 90 (lags behind the elite like Bruno)
- Still developing consistency over 90 minutes as a starter rather than a game changer.
The honest verdict about Fermin Lopez
Is Fermin Lopez the best attacking midfielder in world football? Not as of yet. It is justifiable that Bruno, Bellingham and maybe Palmer stand ahead of him on that list.
But for him to be among the highest among European midfielders for goal contributions, while also being the secondary option to a world-class lineup, is remarkable and deserves recognition.
Fermin Lopez is undoubtedly the most underrated attacking midfielder in world football. This is set to change this summer.
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