Pedri had another phenomenal performance for Barcelona in a 4-1 blowout win over third-placed La Liga side Villarreal, but he wasn’t the only top midfielder in that win, as Fermin Lopez delivered two assists in another monster class in the middle of the park.
At this point, anyone who disputes that Pedri is one of the best players in the world and a beating heart for Barca of nearly equal importance to Lamine Yamal just does not understand ball or is a supremely salty Real Madrid fan.
But I am willing to go as far to say that if you don’t think Fermin Lopez is already a world-class midfielder, then you are behind the curve and too slow to recognize the incredible work the Spaniard is doing this season.
To be honest, Fermin has always been great, hence why multiple Premier League clubs, most recently and prominently Chelsea, have been desperate for Barca to let the 22-year-old foolishly go.
Now that he has the opportunity to start most games for the Blaugrana, Fermin is shining and not looking back, even outproducing Pedri. In addition to the two assists, Fermin led the team with five tackles and had world-class ball progression, impossible to stop in those tight spaces with deliciously fleet feet, elite creativity, and underrated toughness.
This season, Fermin is at 5 goals and 7 assists in La Liga, 5 goals and 3 assists in the Champions League, and 1.9 key passes and 1.8 dribbles completed per 90 minutes.
Barcelona have to start Fermin every game going forward, regardless of what they think of Dani Olmo or the minutes Frenkie de Jong will command when he is healthy. His end product and numbers don’t lie; he is the killer to Pedri’s metronome and one half of one of the most insanely gifted midfield duos in this universe.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.