Joan Laporta and Deco have been working for several weeks on the possible signing of Rafael Leao by FC Barcelona. The initial contacts between the Blaugrana board and the winger and his agent, Jorge Mendes, were very positive at the end of 2024. Beyond the fact that the forward's situation at AC Milan has improved significantly since Sergio Conceiçao took over the 'rossoneri' bench, the winger remains attentive to any Blaugrana movement ahead of next summer.
In this regard, the latest information points to a possible swap that would facilitate Leao's arrival at Spotify Camp Nou in July. Milan insists on a transfer fee of around 100 million euros, but Barça can significantly reduce this price if they include one of their players in the operation. According to 'El Nacional', Fermín López would be the chosen replacement by the culés to acquire the services of the Milan '10'.
Fermín may take a step back in the summer in search of more minutes
Fermín has a contract until 2029 and a release clause of 500 million euros. For now, there are no intentions to part with the player from Huelva, but as summer approaches, the club's and the midfielder's stance may be different, depending on the prominence that the '16' has in the second half of the 2024-25 season. The 21-year-old player is a regular choice for Hansi Flick for rotations, but some physical issues have prevented him from maintaining the spectacular form he showed at the Paris Olympic Games.
So far, López has 1 goal and 3 assists in 20 matches (745 minutes) and, with the returns of Gavi and Dani Olmo, he seems resigned to the role of substitute for the rest of the season. The player from El Campillo is already valued at around 50 'kilos' on Transfermarkt and is expected to be one of the players with the best market options for next summer. A loan or transfer will likely be well received by the Spanish international, aware of the need to accumulate more minutes to step up in the European elite.
For Barça, however, a transfer or swap would be ideal, as beyond Flick's confidence in Fermín, it is clear that at Barça he will hardly stop having a secondary role in the current squad. This factor can, logically, affect his projection, but the club will wait until the end of the season to know the midfielder's stance. In Leao's case, Milan will do the same, although they will hardly accept lowering their financial expectations for their main star. In the 24-25 season, Rafa has 8 goals and 7 assists in 27 appearances (1,933 minutes).