Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez has opened up on his decision to stay at the LaLiga champions, despite interest from Chelsea late in the summer transfer window.
Speculation swirled around the 22-year-old during the final week of the window, with the Blues holding talks with the Catalan giants over the Spain international.
The Blues made initial contact in late August regarding a move for the attacking midfielder, who was a key part of Hansi Flick’s side last season, and discussions were held over submitting a £40million bid.
Marca has now revealed that Chelsea sent an informal £34.8m offer to Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, who played for both clubs during his career, via email. However, he failed to respond, believing the offer was ‘ridiculous’.
Deco is then thought to have told Lopez’s entourage that the midfielder must ‘come to the club and say he wants to leave,’ with rumours regarding Chelsea’s interest in the player continuing to grow.
The move never materialised, with Barcelona’s asking price too high in the Blues’ eyes. It is also understood that Lopez never told his boyhood side that he wanted to move on.
Fermin Lopez has said he always gave ‘priority’ to staying at Barcelona this summer
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Chelsea had been in talks with Barcelona over signing Lopez but the move never materialised
The Blues are believed to have sent a £34.8m offer for Lopez to Barca’s sporting director Deco,
With Lopez now staying in Catalonia, as he fast approaches a century of appearances for the club’s first team, he has told Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo that he always wanted to stay.
‘Well, in the end, my priority has always been to be at Barca,’ he said. ‘I arrived when I was 12; it was my dream to be here, to be able to reach the first team.
‘It’s always a compliment when there’s interest from other clubs, but the truth is, I always had the idea of staying at Barca and being able to succeed here.
‘I’ve always fought to be here, to play for Barca. My goal is to stay here. You know, in football you never know and there are things that don’t depend on you, but my priority has always been to stay at Barca.’
The midfielder featured in 46 matches in all competitions last season, contributing eight goals and 10 assists. This included Lopez scoring six goals and providing five assists in LaLiga, helping Barcelona claim the domestic title.
However, after being hooked at half-time during Barcelona’s opening LaLiga match against Mallorca, which they won 3-0, Lopez has only managed 28 minutes in the following two matches.
He failed to come off the bench at all during the club’s 3-2 comeback win over Levante, and it appears that minutes may be harder to come by for the midfielder this season.
