Fermin Lopez rejects Chelsea, commits future to Barcelona

Barcelona were always confident of retaining one of their most promising talents, making it clear from the start that Lopez was not for sale.

The Catalan club value him at around €90 million and had no intention of negotiating, unless the player himself pushed for an exit. That never happened.

In fact, manager Hansi Flick publicly reinforced the player's importance before the clash with Rayo Vallecano, describing him as "very important" and "a player with a very different style" who he was convinced would remain at the club.

Behind the scenes, the Catalans continued to treat him as an essential part of their long-term project.

Although Lopez had considered issuing a statement to address the rumours, he ultimately chose silence as his decision became clear: to stay put.

Barcelona, reassured by his stance, now consider the matter closed, while Chelsea will be forced to look elsewhere in their search for midfield reinforcements.