Expert insight\u00a0<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n\n \u00a9IMAGO<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Barcelona have an exceptional opportunity to win the LaLiga title in ideal circumstances this weekend, as they lock horns with Real Madrid in El Cl\u00e1sico on Sunday at the Camp Nou. Hansi Flick\u2019s team will only need to avoid defeat in the match to be crowned Spanish champions in front of their own fans, and clinch consecutive league titles for the first time since 2019. Several factors and exceptional players have helped Barca along the way in their league campaign this season, but one player in particular stands out above all others in the middle of the pitch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Indeed, while he may not be Barcelona\u2019s most valuable player or even their most recognisable star, no player in Flick\u2019s squad has gained more market value this season than attacking midfielder Ferm\u00edn L\u00f3pez. Although the young La Masia graduate has been a first-team regular for the Catalan giants for three seasons, this season has seen him step into a more prominent role in the starting XI and as such, his market value has doubled to \u20ac100 million since the start of the season. That \u20ac50m increase is unrivalled across LaLiga, with Real Madrid star Arda G\u00fcler (+\u20ac45m) coming closest. So what is behind L\u00f3pez’s meteoric rise at Barca? On this week\u2019s Market Values<\/em> podcast, we sat down with LaLiga expert Iv\u00e1n Fuente to find out more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Well, he’s really talented, but he’s this kind of player that you want to have in your team because he’s talented, obviously, but he works a lot,\u201d said Fuente when asked about L\u00f3pez’s immediate appeal. \u201c He’s always run and run and run and run, and never gives up.\u201d Indeed, according to Opta the young Spanish international is top of Flick\u2019s squad for tackles won per 90 minutes, alongside his remarkable 13 goals and 17 assists in all competitions this season. In many ways, L\u00f3pez has not only added an extra dimension to Barca\u2019s attack but has also stepped in as a much-needed replacement for ball-winning midfielder Gavi, who has missed most of the season due to a horrid ACL injury.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When asked if L\u00f3pez has been a big help in Barca replacing Gavi this season, Fuente is in full agreement. “Yeah, he has the soul of a warrior that always pushes, always keeps running, annoying the other team, the player who had the ball,\u201d noted the LaLiga expert. \u201cSo yeah, I think he’s this kind of player like Gavi.” But the midfielder isn\u2019t simply just a stop-gap in Flick\u2019s plans while they wait for Gavi to get back up to speed. According to Fuente, L\u00f3pez has had his eye set on playing for the Barca first team since he first joined La Masia and is clearly wasting no time in establishing himself as a key player for the Spanish giants.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a story that after he was at La Masia, he moved to Linares, who are a club that play in the fourth tier of Spanish football,\u201d added Fuente. \u201cBut at that time, he was always working a lot, always focused on the games, doing a really good job. And a player who played alongside him said that at that time L\u00f3pez already knew that he would be in the Barcelona first team one day.” Despite only being 19 years old at the time and having just signed his first professional contract with Barca, L\u00f3pez then went on to bag an impressive 12 goals and four assists in 37 games for the lower league side. That, undoubtedly, was a taste of things to come. And, to the delight of Barcelona fans, L\u00f3pez has forged ahead with his plans to become a star for his boyhood club and, along the way, has helped the club to another league title. It just remains to be seen whether he can provide the all-important goal or assist that clinches the title against Real Madrid on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n