No doubts: Fermín will continue at Barça

BarcelonaFermín López will continue at Barça. A few days ago, Chelsea approached Barça, offering a fee close to 40 million euros to begin transfer negotiations, always subject to the player's final decision, which ultimately resulted in him opting to stay at home. Sources close to him confirm this, so the club is now left with no option to make a lucrative transfer. Fermín has a contract until 2029 and, for the moment, remains determined to fulfill it. Hansi Flick can breathe easy because he doesn't want to lose any more players, while sporting director Anderson Luis de Souza Deco, maintains an asset that he never intended to sell for less than 60 million euros despite the club's financial needs.

Trained at La Masia, Fermín, who has had problems in the dressing room in recent weeks, had an option for a change of scenery and to earn more money. Before the match against Rayo Vallecano, Flick did not dare to guarantee his continuity, but he did convey a certain optimism about his continued presence: "I think he's going to stay." On Wednesday, he had a conversation with the player to let him know that he did not want him to leave. Despite this meeting, Fermín has not made any public gesture to communicate his intentions. Quite simply, the transfer market is about to close, something that de facto He's ruling out any possibility of a transfer.

In Vallecas, the coach brought him on for Dani Olmo starting in the 62nd minute. In the post-match press conference, when asked about the Andalusian's continued presence, he stated: "I'm looking forward to the market being over, I don't want egos. Egos kill success. Last year we were a team and we have to continue like that." Although the player has remained silent, Fermín's intention has been to remain a Barça player – "His heart is at Barça," Flick said on Friday. He hasn't asked to leave and, therefore, there are no negotiations with Chelsea. And time to do so is running out. ~BK_S on loan to Mallorca

The one who is expected to leave the Catalan club this Monday is Héctor Fort. His loan move to Mallorca is agreed, but the player—who did not train with Barça on Friday pending resolution of his future—is dependent on Pablo Maffeo. When the former Girona player clears the way for his departure to Brazil, Fort will sign his contract with the Balearic club. Those closest to the player do not expect him to continue with the Blaugrana, as he would be relegated to the reserve team until at least January. "Although he will have the U-20 World Cup in November, this would be very tough mentally for Héctor."

The problem is that Maffeo's departure from Mallorca remains unresolved. This would force Fort's representatives to hastily activate an alternative, which could involve another La Liga team waiting for last-minute moves or activating other European football markets. "These will be intense and decisive hours," admit sources close to the player. The priority is a loan move to Mallorca, and the last option is to stay with the Barcelona reserves until January. Clubs that had inquired about him last summer, however, Girona and Borussia Dortmund aren't options this transfer window.