Hansi Flick sends defiant message to Barcelona hierarchy after Fermin Lopez and Marc Casado exit talk | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has sent a clear message to the club hierarchy, amid the constant swirl of rumours surrounding some of his players. For much of the summer, Fermin Lopez has been linked with a move away from the club, and lately Marc Casado has been suggested as a potential departure to ease their salary limit struggles.

Casado is set to start the season down the pecking order, and during the past few days, offers from West Ham United, Wolves and Girona have all been leaked to the press. Publicly, it has been intimated to Casado that he will not receive much game time.

Flick: ‘I don’t think Casado wants to leave’

It was early on the agenda in Flick’s press conference ahead of their clash with Levante, and Flick gave a definitive answer.

“I spoke with him of course, but I don’t think he wants to leave the club, and I also want to have him here, because it will be a tough season. We need every player. I think he gives us a lot of confidence in the team, in the squad. Of course, it’s not easy in the squad, for the players, but this is football. We will need every player because we try to achieve a lot.”

‘I don’t want to lose any more players’ – Flick

A message that Flick backed up when asked about Fermin Lopez, amid talk that he personally had stood in the way of a move.

“I just can repeat what I said, I don’t want to lose any players now, because it will be a tough season. This quality from Fermin, he is doing really good, from last season, also when we start here, in the new season. I am happy with him and the players, and I want to keep everyone here, because we are happy with the options we have.”

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The Blaugrana are still yet to register Gerard Martin, Roony Bardghji and Wojciech Szczesny this season, and are supposedly working on departures to resolve the matter. However they are gradually losing hope that the VIP seats lease will be the golden bullet to put them back on an even keel.