Spectacular Man City signing to unlock major exit as Guardiola gaze drawn to elite talent

Manchester City retain an interest in a top Barcelona talent they made enquiries for during the summer window, with TEAMtalk assessing how the player would fit into Pep Guardiola’s system and why any deal would almost certainly trigger a major exit.

City were certainly active over the summer, having realised they needed to revamp their squad to a certain extent after a disastrous defence of their Premier League title.

Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, James Trafford, Sverre Nypan and Gianluigi Donnarumma were all brought in, with a clear focus on bolstering the midfield and goalkeeping departments – especially after the latter was landed on deadline day.

And now, City could make some more moves again in the new year, with a report from TBR Football stating that they held significant interest in Barcelona attacking midfielder/winger Fermin Lopez during the summer and even went as far as asking about the player’s availability.

Lopez was also firmly on Chelsea’s radar, with City’s Premier League rivals holding talks but failing to convince Barca into a deal.

However, TBR Football now states that City continue to be one to watch for a player Guardiola is a big fan and could revisit a move for in 2026.

Lopez’s ability to play out wide on the left would also open the door to Savinho’s potential exit again after Tottenham tried multiple times to prize the Brazilian away from The Etihad.

Spurs are expected to bid for Savinho again in January, in what could be a double raid on City, with Thomas Frank determined to get his man after failing to fill the void left by Son Heung-min’s summer move to LAFC.

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Why swapping Savinho for Lopez gives Man City stronger options

Chelsea’s proposed offer to Barcelona for Lopez was believed to be in the region of €60million (£52m / $70m), as they looked to take advantage of the Catalan giants still troubled financial situation.

If that sort of figure remains in play for the 22-year-old Spain international, it would represent tremendous value – especially if Tottenham end up forking out well in excess of £60m for Savinho.

Only six of Lopez’s 46 appearances for Barcelona last season came on the left wing, but he has the dribbling ability to play out there more regularly if required by Guardiola.

But it’s centrally where the Spaniard could really give City another dynamic option, with his all-round game suited to either the No.8 or No.10 roles.

In 22 games as a central attacking midfielder last season, Lopez scored four goals and added eight assists. He also notched three times and added two more assists in a slightly deeper role, as he showcased the full range of his positional versatility.

Lopez is attack-minded by nature and known for his powerful long-range shooting ability, technical skill and clever off-ball movement. He essentially embodies the sort of qualities of a modern Barcelona midfielder, those same qualities that Guardiola helped nurture during his highly successful four-year stint in Catalonia.

The biggest problem City will have in luring Lopez to The Etihad will come from the player himself, who revealed during the summer window that his focus has always been on staying at the Camp Nou.

Speaking about his future, Lopez told Mundo Deportivo: “There has been a lot of speculation, but I’ll repeat: my priority was always to stay at Barca. I never doubted that.

“I’ve always felt that I wanted to be here, to try to succeed, and to help the club. The future is unpredictable, but yes, I see myself here for many years, hopefully for a long time at Barca.”

Lopez’s current contract runs until the summer of 2029, which will make a deal for him to leave very complicated for any club interested. However, money talks, and if City make a tempting offer that Barcelona find hard to turn down, given their continued financial constraints, then anything remains possible.

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