Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is hopeful Fermin Lopez remains at the club beyond the summer, despite growing interest from English Premier League side Chelsea.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to the Blues in the past week, with speculations intensifying after Xavi Simons’ move to Tottenham Hotspur.
Fermin has expressed his desire to remain at the club although the Catalan giants could be forced to sanction a sale due to financial difficulties.
At the moment he is here,” Flick told a news conference on Saturday when asked about the situation surrounding Fermín’s future.
“I spoke with him. I’m convinced that he will stay, but at the end I don’t know what happens. We have to wait. I am really happy when the market is closed”, Flick said.
“I told him my opinion, but it’s between him and me. Sometimes players have other thoughts. Around the players are also a lot of people, who know maybe more than we know.
It’s a big business. I have to focus on my team and I am really happy Fermín plays for Barça. He’s a really important player for us. He showed that last season. His style is different to other players. He can help us a lot”, he continued.
The La Masia graduate has made over 80 appearances for Barcelona’s first team since making his first-team debut under former manager Xavi Hernandez, and was a key figure in last season’s domestic treble win.
“I am focused on the team, I don’t care about financial things or the financial situation,” Flick added. “My job is to focus on the team. Everyone knows I would love to keep every player here in Barça.
Fermín is a player who is very aggressive on the pitch, against the ball but also with the ball. He’s good sprinting between the last lines and helps us a lot to create spaces.
“But he’s also a really great player to score goals, give the last pass, create chances. You can see that he lives [for] Barça. He loves Barça. I think, not to say too much, in his heart he is Barça”, the Barcelona boss added.
Despite the growing interest, Fermin is expected to feature for Barcelona when they travel to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, looking to make it three consecutive wins to begin the 2025/26 campaign.
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