Fermín López Supports Deco Amid Barcelona No. 9 Debate

Barcelona had just torn Elche apart. Five goals, none in reply, a statement win in the second round of the 2026/27 La Liga season. The mood was light, the football flowing, and yet the question that followed Fermín López off the pitch was not about the scoreline. It was about the striker they might still sign.

“Deco will do what’s best”

Pressed on the possibility of Barcelona bringing in a new No. 9, López didn’t bite. He didn’t lobby, didn’t push an agenda. Instead, he pushed the responsibility upstairs.

He made it clear: Deco, the club’s sporting director, will decide what is best for Barcelona. The message was simple and firm. The dressing room will focus on the pitch; the offices will handle the market.

López also pointed to the options already inside the squad, underlining that the team is not short of attacking solutions as things stand. Any move for a new striker, he stressed, is not one for the players to influence.

A team performance he wants to bottle

On the night itself, López sounded satisfied. Barcelona, he said, finished the match feeling good and sharp, having executed their attacks well and produced a strong collective display. The performance, in his eyes, offered a template.

The challenge now is to repeat it. He insisted the team must keep working in the same way, building on the rhythm and confidence that a 5-0 win inevitably brings rather than treating it as a one-off surge.

Fighting for rhythm after a brutal summer

For López personally, the evening came at a physical cost. He admitted he ended the game exhausted and spoke openly about needing to continue regaining his match rhythm.

The summer, he described, had been very tough for him. No disguising the effort, no pretending it had been smooth. Yet his conclusion matched the tone of the entire night: keep going, keep working, keep pushing.

Barcelona’s attack may yet gain a new No. 9. For now, Fermín López is focused on something more immediate — making sure the intensity he felt against Elche becomes his new normal.