Fer Lopez exclusive interview: Wolves' new entertainer ready to make his mark after arrival from Celta Vigo
Fer Lopez, a £19.5m signing from Celta Vigo, tells Sky Sports about settling in at Wolves, helping to replace Matheus Cunha, and his chemistry with Jorgen Strand Larsen; watch Wolves vs Man City live on Sky Sports from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm
Saturday 16 August 2025 17:32, UK
Fer Lopez’s eyes widen at the mention of a possible Wolves debut against Manchester City, live on Sky Sports on Saturday. "Especially at home, in front of the fans," he smiles.
A season opener against Pep Guardiola's side could easily feel daunting for a young player new to the Premier League. But Lopez displays no nerves in an interview room at Wolves' training ground, rattling off answers in English, already at ease in his surroundings.
"It's very exciting," he adds. "City are one of the best teams in the world, with one of the best managers in the world in Guardiola. My main goal is to try to do as best I can to help the team win."
The forward has arrived at Wolves with only seven senior starts behind him. His breakthrough at boyhood club Celta Vigo came late owing to a growth spurt. But two of those starts came away to Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid last season. He also featured against Barcelona. "I enjoy the big games more," he says.
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Clearly, he does not lack self-belief. Crucially, he has plenty of ability too. Vitor Pereira has already seen enough to say Lopez could play for "one of the top clubs in England". The Wolves boss has waxed lyrical about a "left foot that can give us the magic we need".
All of which helps to explain why Wolves were willing to pay £19.5m to take him to Molineux. It was a wrench for Lopez to leave Celta but staff have been impressed by the speed of his integration.
"It's a big change, obviously, moving here alone to a different country, a different culture, but so far all the staff and the team-mates have treated me very well," he says. "I feel at home here now. It's only been one month since I joined but I feel very good."
It helps that he has arrived with some prior experience of England. Aged 14, Lopez spent three months on a school exchange in Suffolk, during which he trained at Norwich's academy and with non-league side Bacton United '89, where he is remembered for upstaging players twice his age with his ludicrous skill.
"I was very little but it helped me understand the culture and especially the weather, because it's different from Spain," says Lopez, smiling again. "But it was a great experience for me. It was the first time I lived outside Spain. It made me more mature and helped me be the person I am today."
He did not hesitate to seize the chance to come back. "I think it was the opportunity to play in the Premier League in a club like Wolves, that is similar to Celta in terms of being a family club. There's a lot of passion from the fans, I think it's quite similar. Also, the gaffer has a lot of confidence in me, so those were the main things."
Pereira and his staff have used pre-season to get Lopez up to speed physically but there has been an emphasis on tactical instruction too. Happily, the right-sided No 10 role he will compete for in Wolves' 3-4-2-1 formation is not dissimilar from the one he played at Celta.
"What he tells me to do is to receive in those pockets," Lopez says of Pereira. "Then, once I receive the ball, try to be as vertical as possible, finding the final pass and the final shot.
"We played a 3-4-3 at Celta and we play a similar system here," he adds. "I started off the right, but I drifted more central. I wouldn't consider myself a right winger, more attacking midfield.
"So, I think they are similar positions in a very similar system. The system I prefer is a 4-3-3, as the midfielder on the right, so I also have a winger and a striker in front of me. But with the wing-backs, it's quite similar, so I'm very happy with my role here."
Lopez was viewed as an heir to club legend Iago Aspas at Celta. The former Liverpool player even acted as his mentor. "I have tried to learn from him since I was little," says Lopez. "He showed me a lot of stuff, a lot of positioning, what to do when the game is tough, things that you need to know from the inside."
There is an element of succession about his arrival at Wolves too, given it comes after Matheus Cunha's departure to Manchester United. Lopez plays on the opposite side but he is one of the players now tasked with reinvigorating their attack in his absence.
"I think Cunha is a top player," he says. "Everyone saw it last season. But I don't think I have come here to replace anyone. First of all, we are different players. We play in different positions. I like to play more where Pablo Sarabia played last year."
A different position, then. A different level of experience too. But there are similarities between Cunha and Lopez in terms of their skill and flair. Lopez, like Cunha, has a penchant for the spectacular. He chuckles at the mention of his reputation as a nutmeg specialist.
"I think football is entertainment," he says. "I like to see it like that. I like players that take me off my seat and I try to do that to the fans.
"Obviously, the main thing is to score goals and win games but I like to be that type of player. I think I learned that by playing futsal when I was small, maybe also playing in the park with my friends. In Spain, there's a lot of that. It was important in my development."
Wolves now hope Lopez will adapt as quickly on the pitch as he has off it. His 6ft 2in frame should help. "Obviously, the Premier League is a lot more physical than LaLiga," he says. "I think they are two different playing styles. LaLiga is more calm, controlled with the ball, more tactical. Here, it's a lot more 'voom-voom' all the time.
"I will need to adapt but I will work as hard as possible to shrink the time it takes me."
The presence of Jorgen Strand Larsen, his friend and former team-mate at Celta, with whom he holidayed in Greece over the summer, adds another layer of familiarity at Wolves.
"It was obviously a plus knowing that I was not going to be 100 per cent alone because I knew him," says Lopez. "He wasn't the main factor in my decision but it's a nice touch to be here again with him."
Strand Larsen is helping Lopez settle in at the club. So, is the striker, scorer of 14 Premier League goals in his first season last term, asking for him to return the favour in assists?
"Always, always," laughs Lopez. "In training, always.
"But I try to find him a lot. When I get the ball facing forward, the first thing I try to do is find a pass for him. Obviously, if there's another guy wide open, I will pass to him. But yes, I try to link up with him a lot, with one-twos, with balls into the spaces.
"As the games go by and we play more together, I think the chemistry will start to flourish more with all my team-mates, but especially with him because I know him more."
It begins at Molineux on Saturday. Lopez ran out at the stadium for the first time in last weekend's friendly loss to his former club Celta. "Top, top," he says of the experience. "It was a shame we couldn't win," he adds. "But the important stuff starts now."
Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games this season
This season, Sky Sports' Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season will be shown on Sky Sports.
