Fermin: I can play as a No. 9 or on the left, and I always wanted to stay at Barcelona

According to Sport, Barcelona hope to sign a forward in the final two weeks of this summer. Fermin Lopez spoke about Alvarez, the competition for forward positions within the team, and his own future.

When interviewed by ARA, Fermin Lopez was asked about the possibility of Alvarez joining Barcelona. He said he believes Alvarez would be a good fit for Barcelona but did not elaborate further.

"I like him; he's an excellent player, but he is an Atletico Madrid player after all. I can't say much more. I can only say that, given how we play now, he would be a very good fit for us, of course," said the player from El Campillo.

The Andalusian player also said that the Barcelona dressing room already has "many players who can score goals" and can also play as a center-forward. That includes himself: "Who will play as number 9? I don't know, but Gordon can also play as a center-forward. There's also Olmo, Raphinha, and me... I can adapt, yes. I played as a false nine in La Masia. This position is very close to my favorite attacking midfielder role. I can also play on the left, but my best form is still as an attacking midfielder."

Fermin also praised Gordon and Adeyemi, calling them "types we didn't have before" and "two important reinforcements who can bring something different to the team." He also expressed great anticipation for Rodri's arrival.

"He is a top player, a Ballon d'Or winner, a world champion. I played with him in the national team, and he is the best defensive midfielder in the world. He will help us a lot."

As for Barcelona's recently completed signing, he will take over the newly vacated number 16 jersey before being officially confirmed and then switch to the number 7 left by Ferran Torres.

"Number 7 has always been a number I really liked, and it’s also a number worn by many great players in our history. Since it was available, I asked for it, and I’m happy to wear it. It’s a bit hard to leave number 16 because I have a special affection for it after these seasons in the first team, but I believe it will go to the right person..." he said with a laugh.

The departure of "Shark" Ferran Torres was regrettable for him and his teammates. "It was a personal decision. I don't have all the information, but for me, it's a pity because he's always been a great teammate and a good player. I wish him all the best, and I even sent him a message to say goodbye. Did I try to persuade him to stay? It's a personal decision, and if he's happy, I'm happy too." Fermin Lopez came close to changing teams last summer, with Chelsea showing great interest, but he "always made it very clear that he wanted to stay at Barcelona." "It's always good to see other clubs interested and to hear them praise you," he said. He then emphasized that he feels comfortable at this "club of a lifetime," especially because of his good relationship with Flick. "My relationship with him is very good. Since he took over, he has helped me a lot both personally and professionally. In the past two years, I have improved greatly under his demands on the field. I am playing very well now."

This week, Sport also published a report about Fermin's turning point in life: his loan spell at Linares. Fermin admitted in the ARA interview that he "thought he would never return to Barcelona." "At that time, I was already thinking about other things, thinking about continuing to grow, maybe playing in the Segunda División, but I never thought about returning to Barcelona and becoming a first-team player. That experience helped me a lot. I scored a lot of goals and improved a lot."

He also admitted that missing the World Cup due to injury and having to watch it on TV made that summer tough for him. "It was difficult. It was my dream, and I was in my best form at the time, but I've moved on. When you're injured, you learn a lot. You feel very alone and isolated, and you appreciate daily life more, as well as being healthy on the field. That was the best lesson I learned from those months. Now, I just want to go back to doing what I want to do."

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