Fermin Lopez said that he always wanted to stay at Barcelona despite transfer interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.
The 22-year-old has been tracked by the Chelsea recruitment team for a number of months and there was talk of a move to Stamford Bridge during the final stretch of the summer transfer window.
Standard Sport reported that the Blues had made contact with the midfielder’s representatives to discover the feasibility of a move.
Chelsea were considering whether to make an official bid, but the club did not open formal talks with Barcelona over Lopez.
Ultimately Lopez stayed put, featuring in Barcelona’s 1-1 draw away at Rayo Vallecano at the weekend as a second-half substitute, and it has since been revealed that he had little interest in a summer transfer.
In a new interview with Mundo Deportivo, Lopez said: “In the end, my priority has always been to be at Barca.
“I arrived at 12 years old, it was my dream to be here, to reach the first team.
“It's always flattering that there is interest from other clubs, but the truth is I always had the idea of staying at Barça and succeeding here."
Lopez’s team-mate at club and international level, Lamine Yamal, shed further light on the player’s situation. In an interview with Spanish publication RTVE, the Barcelona wonderkid discussed the transfer rumours.
“He's fine and happy as always. At Barca, if someone leaves, it's their decision,” he said. “We're a young, united group where there are no problems between us, and we enjoy the club we're at.
“I don't think anyone wants to leave. We jokingly asked him what was going on with England, but he told us he wanted to stay, that he was happy.”
Fermin Lopez could yet make an appearance at Stamford Bridge in the near future after Chelsea and Barcelona were paired together in the league phase of this season’s Champions League.
The current LaLiga champions will travel to west London on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 in what will be the first meeting between the two sides since March 2018.
Chelsea did manage to sign an alternative to Fermin Lopez on Deadline Day with Facundo Buonanotte joining on a season-long loan from Brighton.
