Tottenham Hotspur held talks with Barcelona on a deal to sign Fermin Lopez this summer, according to the Spanish media Relief.
After coming through the ranks at the famous La Masia youth academy, the 21-year-old made his debut for the first team last year. Although he has yet to make a place for himself in the Catalan side's starting eleven, he has already demonstrated his qualities every time he has been given the opportunity.
The midfielder scored 11 goals in 18 starts in all competitions last season. He was then called up to play in the European Championship with Spain, a competition in which he only played half an hour, but ended up winning the tournament.
Lopez was also called up to the Spanish national team for the Olympics and played a key role in helping his country win the gold medal, scoring six goals and registering one assist in six appearances.
So, it seems that, having been impressed by the Spaniard's recent performances for club and country, Spurs have shown interest in signing him.
Lopez to Tottenham
Relief He claims that Tottenham were “in the driving seat” in securing Lopez's signing this summer and even opened talks with Barcelona to find out the details of his move.
However, the Blaugrana ultimately blocked any potential move and made it clear they have no intention of letting him go unless potential suitors such as Tottenham activate his €400m (£338m) release clause.
Given that Lopez is valued at around £25 million per Transfer marketThere is no chance that Tottenham would pay such a ridiculous amount to sign the youngster, but they remain interested if Barca put a more realistic price on his head.
The Spaniard is a hugely talented player and his willingness to work hard out of possession is an ideal attribute to play in Ange Postecoglou's high-pressing system.
In addition, he is technically sound, can link up play, has the ability to play linking passes between the lines and can also create opportunities for attackers.
Following the arrival of Dani Olmo at Barcelona, Lopez could see even fewer playing minutes this season compared to last campaign, so Spurs could convince him to join next summer if they rekindle their interest.
However, it will be interesting to see if the north London club ultimately opt to rekindle their interest in signing Lopez next year after failing to snap him up this summer.