Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick, is confident that Fermin Lopez will remain with the club despite interest from Chelsea. Flick has emphasized Lopez’s importance to the team and his unique playing style. Barcelona faces Rayo Vallecano in their next match, with experts predicting a Barcelona victory. The team has had a relatively quiet transfer window due to financial constraints, but Flick remains focused on the current squad.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has expressed his confidence that Fermin Lopez will remain a Barcelona player beyond the current transfer window, despite significant interest from Chelsea. The Premier League club had reportedly identified the young midfielder as a potential target after their pursuit of Xavi Simons ended with the player joining Tottenham. Reports suggested that Barcelona valued Lopez, 22, at around €90 million (£78m).
Lopez has shown promise since breaking into the first team, starting in Barcelona’s 3-0 victory against Mallorca in their La Liga opener. However, he was an unused substitute in the subsequent match against Levante, where Barcelona mounted a comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2. Despite the potential allure of a move to the Premier League, Flick is determined to keep Lopez in Catalonia.
"At the moment, he is here. I spoke with him, of course, and I am convinced that he will continue," Flick stated on Saturday, addressing the rumors surrounding Lopez's future. "I don’t know what will happen. I’ll be very happy when the window closes. I told him my opinion, that he should stay. I understand that there may be doubts, football is a big business."
Flick emphasized Lopez's importance to the team, highlighting his unique style of play and his ability to contribute in multiple facets of the game. "I’m focused on the team, and I’m very happy that Fermin is playing with us. He’s very important for us, he has a very different style of play. He can help the team a lot." When questioned about what Lopez specifically brings to the squad, Flick elaborated on the midfielder's qualities. "He is a very important player with and without the ball. He’s good between the lines and at creating space. He also has a goal in him and makes good final passes."
The Barcelona coach further added, "When he’s in a good mood, he’s a great footballer. He loves Barca. I don’t want to say too much, but Barca is in his heart. He knows we want him to stay. At the beginning of the week, it was perhaps different. In recent days, he has been more focused. For me, he’s coping well." This indicates that there might have been some initial uncertainty, but the club has worked to reassure Lopez of his value to the team.
Barcelona, currently one of five teams with a perfect record after two matchweeks in La Liga alongside Real Madrid, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, and Getafe, has experienced a relatively subdued transfer window. The club's only additions have been goalkeeper Joan Garcia, youngster Roony Bardghji, and Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford. Financial constraints have also led to speculation that Barcelona might need to sell players before the transfer deadline to balance their books.
Flick acknowledged the financial realities of modern football but reiterated his focus on the players currently at his disposal. "I can’t change anything, so I don’t think about these things. The transfer market is crazy. I don’t know what will happen," he said. "Everyone knows that I would like all the players to stay. Here’s what I can say. The rest of these questions, you have to ask other people."
Looking ahead, Barcelona faces Rayo Vallecano, a team that has shown resilience. Rayo has three points from their first two games, having defeated Girona 3-1 before losing 1-0 to Athletic Bilbao. They also secured their place in the Conference League group stage by defeating FC Neman Grodno with an aggregate score of 5-0.
Players to watch in the upcoming match include Alvaro Garcia for Rayo Vallecano, who has a notable record against Barcelona, and Pedri for Barcelona, who has a knack for scoring against Rayo. Pedri kickstarted Barca’s comeback against Levante last week with a goal early in the second half, and he tends to enjoy facing Rayo. The Spain international has netted three times in six LaLiga matches against Rayo, his joint-most against any club in the competition (also three against Levante).
Let’s get ready for #RayoBarça pic.twitter.com/lLyOrhhGiS
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 30, 2025
Experts predict a Barcelona win, noting that Rayo has struggled against Barcelona since Inigo Perez took over as head coach. Barcelona's strong away record also supports this prediction. The visitors have not lost any of their five away league games against teams from the Madrid area under Flick, winning four and drawing one. This is their best such run since December 2019 (won six, drawn one).
Opta's win probability gives Rayo Vallecano a 16.4% chance of winning, Barcelona a 63.8% chance, and a draw a 19.8% chance.