La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly weighing up the prospect of selling striker Ferran Torres in the January transfer window.
Barcelona are open to offloading Ferran Torres when the transfer market reopens in January. That’s according to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, which claims the Catalans are not entirely happy with the Spanish international and are willing to cash in on him as soon as possible amid their desperate financial situation.
The 22-year-old left Manchester City to join the Catalan giants midway through the 2021/22 campaign in a deal worth a reported £55 million, plus £10 million in add-ons, with his move to Spain coming amid a period of financial turmoil for the Blaugrana. He instantly became a mainstay in Barcelona’s starting XI in the second half of last season, starting in as many as 16 matches in the previous campaign.
However, Torres has fallen down the pecking order following the summer splash at Camp Nou that saw both Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski arrive through the door to make a congested attacking roster, with the former City man starting just six of Barcelona’s 13 La Liga matches this season.
With Ousmane Dembele flourishing for club and country and Ansu Fati fit again too, it looks like playing opportunities will be few and far between for the Spaniard in the future as well.
To his credit, the young forward has been making full use of the minutes he has been getting under Xavi this season, scoring three Champions League goals from five outings and also having two La Liga goals to his name.
Thus, it comes as a bit of a surprise that Barcelona decision-makers are already writing him off. So much so that the Catalan coach Xavi has “lost confidence” in the former Manchester City man and has apparently “given the green light for his departure” in the upcoming transfer window.
Barcelona are looking to recoup the €55 million they paid for him only this January. However, his disappointing performance for Spain at the World Cup hasn’t made matters any easier for the Blaugrana, who are searching for a potential party to offload the player and might have to take a substantial financial hit if they are to secure his departure.
While the Spanish winger hasn’t grown into the striker many expected at Camp Nou, at the age of 22, he still has plenty of time left to reach his peak and should have no shortage of suitors if he were to leave Catalonia to find a new home in the next window.
Torres scored 16 goals and supplied four assists in 43 appearances for Manchester City during his brief stint at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal are among the teams looking to bring him back to the Premier League. The Gunners may attempt to sign a striker during the January transfer window, with talismanic striker Gabriel Jesus recently having surgery after suffering an injury during World Cup duty with Brazil.
Torres is capable of playing as a winger but has also operated in a false nine role, and shares a good working relationship with current boss Mikel Arteta from their time together at the Etihad Stadium.
