Fermin Lopez turned down interest from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea during the summer, with the Barcelona midfielder ultimately deciding to remain at the Catalan club.
There was significant attention around Lopez at the start of the transfer window, with several Premier League sides exploring whether a deal could be reached for the highly-rated Spain international.
TEAMtalk reports that Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all held conversations regarding Lopez early in the summer. Intermediaries involved in those discussions believed there was a possibility of getting a deal done.
Barcelona, though, remained firm in their belief that Lopez had an important future at the club. Head coach Hansi Flick also views the midfielder as a key part of his plans, giving Barcelona little reason to actively pursue his departure.
Barcelona continue to count on Fermin Lopez
Manchester United were among the clubs to look into Lopez’s availability, but the player eventually stayed in Spain as Barcelona continued to develop their plans around him.
The Catalan club sees Lopez as someone capable of taking on an important role within the squad. His continued development has only strengthened that belief and made his position within Barcelona’s long-term plans clearer.
Arsenal and Chelsea also explored the possibility of bringing the midfielder to England, but neither club was able to convince Lopez to leave Barcelona.
For Manchester United, the summer interest ultimately went nowhere, with Lopez choosing to continue his career at Camp Nou.
His decision also appears to have reinforced Barcelona’s stance on the midfielder. Rather than being viewed as a player who could be moved on, Lopez is now firmly considered part of the club’s plans for the future.
