Fermin Lopez admits he was flattered to receive interest from Chelsea but insists he had no intention of leaving Barcelona during the summer transfer window.
Chelsea targeted Fermin as a potential signing and held talks with the midfielder’s representatives over a move to Stamford Bridge.
However, Barcelona were less than impressed with Chelsea’s proposal for the 22-year-old as their initial €40 million (£34.8m) offer was reportedly ignored.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick also made it clear that he wanted Fermin to stay at the club and that the midfielder was part of his plans this season.
‘In the end, my priority has always been to be at Barca,’ Fermin told Mundo Deportivo when asked about Chelsea’s interest.
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‘I arrived when I was 12, it was my dream to be here, to be able to reach the first team. It’s always a compliment when there’s interest from other clubs, but the truth is, I always had the idea of staying at Barca and being able to succeed here.
‘There’s been a lot of speculation about all this, but I insist: my priority has always been to be at Barca, and I never doubted being here. I’ve always felt I wanted to be here, to try to succeed, and to help the club.’
When asked about the public show of support he received from Flick, Fermin replied: ‘It’s been very important, because I’ve always fought to be here, to play for Barca.
‘My goal is to stay here. You know, in football you never know and there are things that don’t depend on you, but my priority has always been to stay at Barca.
‘He’s the manager, and he shows you confidence and makes you see that you’re important, you feel more loved and confident in staying. What we spoke about with him was to stick together to continue on the same path as last year and win titles with the club.
‘The whole team have been very supportive this week, and everyone wanted me to stay, too. The support from the dressing room is appreciated.’
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