Overview

• Chelsea submitted an official offer of around €40m (about £35m) for Fermín López on Saturday, which Barcelona turned down.
• Barcelona are valuing the 22-year-old far higher, with reports placing their stance in the €70–90m range and citing the €116m Moisés Caicedo deal as a benchmark.
• Coach Hansi Flick said he spoke with López and is convinced he will remain, though he acknowledged final decisions rest with the player and his camp.
• Reporting indicates López currently prefers to stay, while people close to him are encouraging a move to Chelsea given the financial and sporting proposal.
• López has been named in the squad to face Rayo Vallecano, but his involvement could change quickly with the transfer deadline approaching and other top clubs monitoring the situation.