Barca wouldn't budge on their £7million evaluation of the player and the deal was dead. Or, at least, it should have been...
But all the sign from Jimmy suggested that a move to reunite him with former Holland manager Louis van Gaal was what he really wanted. Van Gaal has since been sacked however, and Jimmy remains a Chelsea player. And that is how he will remain for the rest of his career if his latest comments are anything to go by.
Speaking in the Evening Standard, Jimmy said "I'd like to finish my career at Chelsea if it's possible.
"It's still really far away, but I feel at home here. You can always look for something better, but is there something better? I don't know.
"I'm settled at Chelsea and it's not a must that I have to look for a bigger or better club. Chelsea is close to my heart and I'm happy here."
Now all we need is for Jimmy to bang in the goals on a regular basis and rediscover the form he displayed before any talk of a move to Barcelona...