Premier League sides Arsenal and Tottenham are monitoring Ferran Torres after Barcelona put the attacker up for sale, according to a report.
Torres came through Valencia’s youth setup and gained promotion to their senior squad in January 2018. After making 97 appearances for the Spanish side, he convinced Manchester City to spend £20.8million on him in August 2020.
The left winger, who can also operate at centre-forward, did well during 18 months at the Etihad. He found the back of the net 16 times in 43 games, helping City to win the Premier League title and Carabao Cup in the 2020/21 campaign.
However, he departed City in January last year when Barcelona came calling. They reportedly spent an initial £46.3m on him, while also agreeing to spend a further £8.4m depending on add-ons. This saw City make a great profit of over £25m on Torres, despite having him on their books for less than two years.
The Spaniard has gone on to make 49 appearances for Barca in all competitions, bagging 12 goals in that time. His record for the current campaign stands at five strikes in 23 matches.
Xavi is a big fan of Torres and believes he can become an important player for Barca in the long run. However, the La Liga giants need to boost their finances so they can register new contracts for the likes of Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde.
La Liga have prevented Barca from completing these contracts due to them failing to pass the necessary financial tests. After letting Memphis Depay and Gerard Pique go, they may have to sell Torres too.
Spanish outlet Sport pick up the player’s situation. They claim he has been placed on the transfer market by Blaugrana officials.
Ferran Torres to be sold as part of contract solution
They could sell Torres as soon as the summer transfer window opens. The contracts are now a matter of urgency as Liverpool could snap up Gavi on the cheap, before his new release clause is finalised.
Barca have already discussed Torres’ potential departure with Atletico Madrid. During the negotiations for Depay’s move, they talked about whether Torres could follow him to the Spanish capital.
The 22-year-old ultimately ended up staying at Barca. But Atleti remain keen and may launch a move in the summer.
Arsenal and Tottenham have been tipped to sign Torres from Barca in the past. And the fact he is now available for transfer means they will probably reignite their interest.
Sport state that Prem sides are ‘paying attention’ to Torres. These are highly likely to be Arsenal and Spurs.
Torres would be a good signing for either north London club. He already has experience playing in England and would therefore not need too long to adapt.
Plus, Torres impressed with his goalscoring record while at City. He did not set the world alight, but he showed he has the potential to become a real threat in the Prem.
Even better for Arsenal and Spurs is the fact Barca are happy to take a loss on him. After paying £46.3m for him, they are now happy to agree a sale at £37.6m.