Barcelona star pens new deal until 2031 – ‘I haven’t reached my ceiling’

Barcelona star Fermin Lopez has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2031, just over two years after signing his last deal, which extended his contract to 2029. The 22-year-old has been one of the finds of the last few campaigns at Barcelona, providing goals and assists from midfield.

Lopez was the subject of interest from Chelsea in the summer, but turned down a move to stay at Barcelona. This season he has maintained his strong form from the second half of last season, and is challenging Dani Olmo for his spot in the starting XI. With Chelsea remaining interested, Barcelona have handed him a new deal that supposedly includes a 50% wage rise. His release clause remains set at €500m.

‘I’ve not reached my ceiling’ – Fermin Lopez

The official signing of his new deal, agreed last week, took place on Friday, and speaking to club media, he discussed his growth over the past three seasons since breaking into the senior team.

“I don’t think I’ve reached my ceiling. I’m 22 years old, I’m in good form, but I want to keep improving and make history with Barca,” MD quoted.

Lopez made an impression on Xavi Hernandez during preseason in 2023, but has taken his game to the next level under Hansi Flick. Initially he was not cast for first-team football, but impressed during a loan spell at third-tier Linares.

“I learned a lot in Linares and Xavi trusted me from the very beginning. That preseason was key to my career. I’ve grown a lot, I’m calmer on the field and I make better decisions. Hansi gives me a lot of confidence and helps me improve every day.”

Fermin Lopez ambitious for the future

His words on the teams objectives will have been music to the ears of President Joan Laporta.

“We want to win titles. The Champions League is an excitement we all have, and we have a great team to compete with. We’re a family on and off the field, and we’re expecting a very exciting season.”

Flick: "Which player would I like to sign? It's a difficult question because I think we have a fantastic team right now. Everything we do has to be smart. With Deco I have a great partner and we talk about everything. Each decision also takes into account the financial situation,…

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 6, 2026

The Spain international also set a personal goal – Pedri is just a year older than him, and already forms part of the captaincy group.

“Being captain of Barca would be a dream; hopefully, it can happen someday. The kid who came from El Campillo only wanted to play for Barca. Everything I’ve had to go through to get here has helped me learn and improve.”

So far this season, Lopez has 10 goals and 11 assists in his 28 appearances, already surpassing his figures from last year. That averages out as a goal contribution every 83 minutes, one of the best ratios in the Barcelona squad.

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