Barcelona at odds with Ferran Torres over summer transfer

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Barcelona at odds with Ferran Torres over summer transfer

Barcelona would like to sell Ferran Torres this summer, 90min understands, but the Spaniard remains adamant that he does not want to leave Camp Nou.

The 23-year-old left Manchester City for a fee just shy of £50m in January 2022, but he's struggled to make an impact at Barca in his 18 months at the club. He has scored just 14 goals in 71 appearances all competitions and noticeably fell down Xavi's pecking order last season - evidenced by just 14 La Liga starts during 2022/23.

Despite his struggles, Torres has garnered significant interest from the Premier League. 90min revealed in May that Mikel Arteta was keen to take Torres or Barcelona team-mate Raphinha to Arsenal, while Newcastle have also kept a close eye on his situation as they target signing a new wide forward.

Unai Emery's Aston Villa have also shown interest in Torres after qualifying for next season's Conference League, but the Spaniard has resisted Villa's interest to date, revealing to local media at the end of June: "Today, I am at Barca, but football takes many turns. I have the phone on airplane mode, on July 10 [the start of pre-season], I will open it.

"I'm just focused on what's mine, training, taking advantage of the pre-season that I couldn't do last year [due to injury] and from here on, showing that I'm a great footballer. In the next few days you will have news."

90min understands that Torres' stance over a move hasn't changed, despite the club making it clear that he will be behind Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati in Xavi's wide forward pecking order, and there's currently no persuading him that moving on is in his best interests. Indeed, the former Valencia academy graduate believes he can earn a place in the side.

Barcelona remain in dire financial trouble - which prevented Lionel Messi's fairytale return to the club materialising - and need to raise money this summer through player sales, or simply by clearing players off the wage bill.

A loan move for Torres would be sanctioned - something 90min understands would certainly appeal to Aston Villa - but any reasonable offer for the 35-cap Spain international would also be taken.

Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti have already departed Barca on free transfers, though their exits have been partly offset by the arrivals of Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez, as well as the return of several fringe players from loan spells away.