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A big decision awaits Chelsea in the final days of the summer transfer window.
The Blues have recently registered an interest in Fermin Lopez from Barcelona, football.london understands. The west London club, who are looking to provide cover for Cole Palmer in the No.10 role if Christopher Nkunku - as expected - leaves Stamford Bridge, made contact with the 22-year-old's representatives earlier in the week to discover more on his situation at Barca.
Many were left surprised by the news, that football.london reported on Tuesday, given Chelsea have been in direct club-to-club talks for well over a month now with RB Leipzig regarding a move for Xavi Simons - someone who plays in more or less the same position as Lopez.
Sources close to negotiations between the two clubs confirmed earlier in the week that talks are still happening regarding Simons, who has his heart set on a move to Stamford Bridge. Bayern Munich and Manchester City both registered an interest in the 22-year-old playmaker earlier in the transfer window but his representatives confirmed their client's desire to move to the world champions.
Lopez or Simons? That is the big decision that looms large at Chelsea over the next few days.
In their respective leagues - Bundesliga for Simons and La Liga for Lopez - on per 90 minutes, the Barcelona man fares slightly better. He trumps Simons in shots on target (1.2 vs 1), assists (0.4 vs 0.3), passing accuracy (86.15% vs 82.9%), take-ons completed (1.9 vs 1.4) and touches in the opposition's box (4.7 vs 3.7). Simons, meanwhile, pips Lopez in through balls (1 vs 0.6), fouls won (2.4 vs 1.6) and ball recoveries (5.4 vs 4.8), while they are equal in goals (0.5) and chances created (2.1).
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They are very similar players in many ways. Both have a high work-rate out of possession and offer a lot in the defensive aspect, while they also share a talent of finding space in between the lines frequently throughout matches. Lopez and Simons have wonderful technical ability and that can perhaps be put down to coming through the ranks in La Masia, Barcelona's famous academy system.
Last season, Simons featured 33 times for Leipzig in all competitions - having missed over two months because of an ankle injury - where he scored 11 goals and assisted eight times. The Dutchman averaged a goal every 251 minutes for Leipzig.
Lopez played 13 more times than Simons in all competitions but still spent around 700 less minutes on the pitch than the Netherlands international. The Spaniard scored eight times and assisted 10 in his 46 appearances for Barcelona - meaning he finished the campaign averaging a goal every 254 minutes (three minutes more than Simons).
From statistics alone, Lopez appears to be the more two-footed player. Out of his eight goals last season, the Spain international struck three of them with his left foot, four with his right and scored one header, while all of Simons' 10 goals came via his right foot.
Chelsea have some big decisions to make in the coming days, not least with Simons and Lopez. Both are extremely talented footballers and the Blues need to figure out which one is worth exploring more.
Either way, Chelsea are still looking to strike a deal for Christopher Nkunku to leave the club before Monday's deadline before they push forward with Lopez or Simons. The Frenchman wants to leave Stamford Bridge this summer - and the feeling is very much mutual in that respect - but thus far, the west Londoners have been unable to find the versatile forward a permanent home.
Leipzig have shown an interest in re-signing Nkunku, who left the Red Bull Arena in the summer of 2023, while Bayern Munich enquired about a loan move. There is also interest in the Premier League, with Aston Villa contacting Nkunku's representatives recently. The quicker Nkunku is moved on, the quicker Chelsea can switch their attention to Lopez or Simons.
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