After starring with two goals in Barcelona’s 6-0 thrashing of Valencia, Fermin Lopez has insisted he “never had any doubts” about rejecting a summer move to Chelsea.
The Premier League side made an attempt to sign the midfielder but he was convinced to stay as the club stood firm on their €90 million (£78m/$106m) valuation for the Spanish international.
Lopez put a period of intense transfer speculation behind him with a man-of-the-match performance, scoring twice as Barcelona demolished Valencia 6-0 in La Liga on Sunday.
The midfielder was the standout player at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, netting in each half to lead the rout.
Further goals from Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, who also bagged a brace, sealed a dominant victory that saw Hansi Flick’s side command 73 per cent possession and fire 24 shots on goal.
Speaking after the match, Fermin addressed the recent interest from Chelsea and made his intentions clear.
The 22-year-old said: “Not everything that’s been said is true, I don’t want to get into that.
“My intention has always been to be here for many years. I never had any doubts.
“There’s always been speculation, I’ve always wanted to be here, and I’ll fight to be here for many years.”
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The midfielder’s comments come after a frantic end to the transfer window in which Chelsea pushed hard to secure his signature.
The Blues reportedly tabled a bid worth around €40m (£34m/$47m), but Barcelona, adamant that Fermin was central to their project, demanded a fee of at least €90m.
Fermin has since revealed that senior Barcelona players, including injured captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo and Pedri, held conversations with him to persuade him to stay in Catalunya and reject the lucrative offer from London.
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However, having cemented his place in the hearts of the Blaugrana faithful, Fermin’s immediate focus will turn to Barcelona’s next match in the Champions League against Newcastle, followed by a La Liga clash against Getafe.
Also, he faces a significant battle for a regular starting spot at Barcelona.
Head coach Flick has a wealth of attacking midfield options, including Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Gavi and summer signing Marcus Rashford, meaning Fermin will need to build on his spectacular performance against Valencia to secure consistent minutes.
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