20-year-old Barcelona starlet has surprised staff the most in pre-season, earned Xavi’s trust

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez announced the squad list for the pre-season tour of the United States of America. Seven youth players made the cut for the trip along with the first-team stars and the new signings.

And, journalist Albert Roge is reporting that the youth prospect who has surprised the most during the early parts of the pre-season is Fermin Lopez.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder is understood to have stood out during the first week of the preparatory training and has earned Xavi’s trust, which in turn won him a spot on the flight to the US.

Fermin Lopez has been with Barcelona since 2016, having joined La Masia from the Real Betis youth academy. Having progressed through the ranks, the youngster was sent out on loan to Linares last season to continue his development.

And the Spaniard enjoyed a fine campaign on loan in 2022/23, finishing with 12 goals and four assists from 40 matches across all competitions, playing as an attacking midfielder and a left winger.

Following an impressive campaign on loan, Lopez is expected to become a key player for Rafa Marquez’s Barça Atletic team in the upcoming campaign and a strong pre-season could even see the 20-year-old force himself into the first-team plans under Xavi.

Reports had suggested that the Barcelona legend wanted to take a closer look at the youngster in pre-season and so far, it appears that the 43-year-old tactician has been left impressed by what he has seen.

Alejandro Balde’s pre-season performances last year saw him earn a place in Xavi’s setup and become an undisputed starter at left-back. And if Fermin performs well on the US tour, there is no ruling out the possibility that he too follows in the same path as Balde.