Fermin Lopez: the key to unlocking the left flank for FC Barcelona?

Fermin Lopez is one of few La Masia players who have managed to break through the first team and leave a mark, Fermin has popped up with goals when needed and he has a different profile to the other midfielders that Barcelona has like Pedri, Gundo, and De Jong, etc. but even with the many great performances he has had this season, I still think that his best is yet to come considering he is only 20 years old and he isn’t even being played in his best position. see Fermin is really an anomaly when looking at him in this pool of Barca midfielders, midfielders like Gundo and Pedri's best attributes are perhaps their passing or their way of knowing how to control a game to the team. Fermin’s best qualities are his burst of pace and his ball-striking, which is why I think that a position change to the left wing would be beneficial for both parties. Barcelona has not found an heir to Neymar since he left and that left flank over the years has grown to be duller each year, almost no 1v1 threat comes from the left wing, Barcelona thought they finally had the answer with wonder kid Ansu Fati but long-term injuries hindered his progression and regressed a lot of what made him great like his 1 on 1 ability and his goalscoring prowess. Xavi has still not found anyone who has been able to hold that position long-term. Fermin Lopez has the qualities to be a great left-winger for qualities like his burst of pace and ball striking that makes for a very good inside forward. Last season Fermin Lopez was on Loan at 3rd division side Linares where he played in the position of a left-winger, he played 37 games scored 12 goals, and came up with 4 assists, this tells us that he already has familiarity with the position and how to play it. but let's take a deep dive into the positions he occupies at times when he has scored for Barcelona this season:

First Example:

here is the 3rd goal in the Atleti-Barca game, the ball is with Kounde who is looking to fake a cross and pass it to Lewa at the edge of the box, Fermin here arriving looks ahead to the central space with the aim to occupy that space, this right here shows something critical in all Great Forwards, Finding unrealized space.

when the ball rolls over to Lewandowski, Fermin already knows where the unrealized space is and takes a quick glance at where the ball is.

Fermin moves into the unrealized space, and Lewandowski delivers a picture-perfect cross which Fermin heads away. knowing where the unrealized space is a quality that Mo Salah possesses which allows him to be his club’s top goalscorer every season.

Second Example:

Here is the goal Fermin scored to equalize the scoreline vs Mallorca here you can see Fermin occupying the LF (Left forward) right next to Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal dribbles inside and looks at Raphinha who is making a run between the lines, Lamine passes it to raphinha.

Raphinha makes a run between the lines with the sole intention of a pass inside to Lewandowski, who is in an optimal position to have a clear-cut chance, Fermin is right behind him moving as well, this tells us that not only can Fermin move into unrealized space, Fermin can also move as the attack is progressing which is a very important trait to have to be a goalscoring winger.

Raphinha makes a pass, lewa dummies it, and leaves the ball to Fermin to finish, and Fermin makes a slick bottom-left-corner finish to equalize the game.

Third Example:

another example of Fermin’s excellent movement which rewards him with a goal of his own. Frenkie de Jong has just played a through ball to Vitor Roque in wide space, Fermin keeps running even when it looks like a clear-cut chance that Roque will finish.

Roque Misses the chance, the keeper fails to collect the ball and Fermin finds himself slotting an easy goal in a pretty much open net.

All these three examples pretty much tell us that Fermin has all the traits and attributes to be a top Left winger, for the last 3 years Barcelona has struggled to solve the left winger issue. Fermin Lopez provides that great balance between the attack bringing the Burst of pace, Ball striking & goalscoring, while the RHS (Raphinha & Yamal) bring the creativity.