Fermin Lopez Supports Deco on Barcelona’s No. 9 Situation After Elche Win

Fermin Lopez walked off the pitch exhausted, but satisfied. Barcelona had just demolished Elche 5–0 in the second round of the 2026/27 La Liga season, and the midfielder’s verdict was simple: this is the standard, now they have to sustain it.

Lopez said the team “finished the match feeling good,” highlighting how Barcelona executed their attacks and turned dominance into a statement scoreline. The performance, he stressed, was strong across the board. The message that followed was as demanding as it was clear: they have to keep working exactly this way.

The No. 9 debate, though, refuses to disappear.

Deco in the spotlight

Asked about the possibility of Barcelona bringing in a new No. 9, Lopez didn’t bite on the transfer debate. Instead, he pushed the responsibility firmly upstairs.

Deco, he said, will do what is best for the club.

Lopez pointed to the options already inside the dressing room and made it clear that players are not the ones who decide whether a new striker arrives. That call, he reminded, belongs to those in charge — with Deco, the club’s sporting director, at the heart of it.

His comments effectively parked the striker question with the Barcelona hierarchy, while underlining that the current squad already offers solutions in attack.

Fighting for rhythm

Away from the transfer noise, Lopez’s focus is on his own engine. He admitted he finished the game exhausted and needs to keep building his match rhythm after a draining summer.

He described the off-season as “very tough” for him physically, another reason he is demanding more work, more sessions, more minutes.

For Lopez, the equation is straightforward: keep the level of performances like the Elche win, trust Deco to handle the No. 9 issue, and let the season reveal whether Barcelona truly have all the firepower they need.