Barcelona are reportedly prepared to offer as much as €40 million for the services of Manchester City forward Ferran Torres.
A recent report from Sport has offered details on Barcelona’s pursuit of Ferran Torres. The Catalan giants are looking into the possibility of signing the Manchester City forward, especially after the appointment of Xavi Hernandez. However, the talks have not advanced yet, with the Premier League giants having no intention of selling their star player in January.
While Barcelona are open to signing Torres in the summer, they are only willing to fork out €40 million. It falls well below Manchester City’s reported valuation of €70 million, although the two parties are working out the possibilities of the potential move, owing to their excellent relationship.
Torres had initially joined the Manchester City camp last summer for a fee of just €25 million. He was largely brought in as an explosive winger who can offer competition for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez in the final third.
However, under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, the former Valencia starlet has emerged as one of the most versatile players in the Manchester City team. In addition to his favoured right-wing slot, he can now play on the left flank as well as a striker.
In fact, Torres has played as a centre forward for the majority of his spell at Manchester City so far. He has adopted a similar role in the Spanish national team and has proven to be even more successful, with 12 goals in just 22 league matches, with 11 of those coming in the last 16 appearances.
Torres’s newfound role, coupled with his overall versatility, has attracted the attention of Barcelona’s new coach Xavi Hernandez. The club was initially eyeing a January move for Raheem Sterling, but it appears they have now shifted their attention to the young Spaniard, who himself is keen on representing the Catalans.
Reports suggest that the 21-year-old has already agreed personal terms with Barcelona. But with Manchester City holding out for a hefty fee for his services, a move to Catalonia remains an unlikely possibility unless Xavi manages to offload all his unwanted stars.
Barcelona have reportedly offered the two Manchester giants the opportunity to sign Philippe Coutinho in January. But they have both declined the proposal, whereas the future of Ousmane Dembele also remains uncertain. The Frenchman is considering his options at the moment, but he is likely to leave the club when his contract comes to an end in the summer.
