Manchester City made summer transfer enquiries for Barcelona starlet – Chelsea also interested

Manchester City officials have reportedly made transfer enquiries for Barcelona's highly-rated attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez, as per new reports, indicating potential interest in bolstering their squad.

The club has undergone a significant first-team revamp in the recent transfer window, with director of football Hugo Viana overseeing permanent exits for several senior players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, James McAtee, Ilkay Gundogan, Ederson, and Scott Carson, as well as season-long loans for Jack Grealish to Everton, Manuel Akanji to Inter Milan, Claudio Echeverri to Bayer Leverkusen, Vitor Reis to Girona, and Sverre Nypan to Middlesbrough.

In terms of acquisitions, Manchester City signed James Trafford, Marcus Bettinelli, and Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day, which has overhauled the goalkeeping department, with manager Pep Guardiola expected to have Trafford and Donnarumma compete for the starting position.

This revamp comes after a disappointing previous season where City finished third in the Premier League with 71 points, were eliminated in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace, followed by a poor start to the 2025-26 season with a convincing win over Wolves but subsequent defeats to Tottenham and Brighton, raising concerns ahead of upcoming fixtures against Manchester United, Napoli, and Arsenal.

Questions have been raised about whether the transfer business adequately addressed the squad's defensive frailties, particularly highlighted during Rodri's long-term absence last season, and whether there is sufficient midfield creativity to support striker Erling Haaland, with players like Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki failing to maintain their form.

Regarding Fermin Lopez, it was reported that Manchester City made enquiries during the summer transfer market, and he was also a target for Chelsea, but a move did not materialize, with Lopez subsequently confirming in an interview with Mundo Deportivo that his priority was to stay at Barcelona, despite speculation.