Barcelona have confirmed they have agreed a deal to sign 21-year-old Spain international forward Ferran Torres from Premier League champions Manchester City.
Un nuevo jugador para el #DreamTeen.
Jugador de presente y de futuro.
The Catalan giants have moved to strengthen their attack following the retirement of Sergio Aguero. The Argentine has been forced to hang up his boots early due to a heart condition.
Barca confirmed the news in an official statement on the club’s website and also announced Torres will be officially presented as a Barcelona player on Monday, January 3.
“FC Barcelona has reached an agreement with Manchester City for the transfer of Ferran Torres,” read the statement. “The player has signed a contract for the next five seasons, until 30 June 2027, and his buyout clause has been set at 1,000 million euros.”
The Catalan giants will pay €55 million plus €10m in add ons for the 21-year-old, as reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Torres will now join up with Xavi’s side and add to the coach’s attacking options along with Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Memphis Depay, and Martin Braithwaite for the second half of the 2021-22 season.
The forward arrives after making 43 appearances and scoring 16 goals for City since joining from La Liga side Valencia in August 2020.
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Torres ‘Wants To Be The Best Player In The World’
Torres has decided to leave Pep Guardiola’s side and move to Barcelona because he wants to play more regularly, according to Guillem Balague for BBC Sport. Balague reports that Torres also has big ambitions to become the world’s best player.
“The timings of City and Ferran Torres didn’t match. Torres had to be a bit more patient to stay on and become the player that he can be under Pep Guardiola. But he is impatient – he wants to be the best player in the world,” he said. “He wants to be the star of the team and he had to fight with six other players for his position at City. Even though the goals were good and playing time was decent, he went and knocked on the door of Pep Guardiola’s office and said: ‘Mister, I want to go.’ And Pep said: ‘OK, well go.'”
Torres has not featured since October after suffering a foot injury on international duty for Spain but has offered a fitness update on social media and appears close to a return to action.
The attacker will be expected to go straight into the starting XI when fit and should give the Catalans a real boost for the second half of the season.
Xavi To Use Torres as a No. 9?
Torres is a versatile player who can operate as a winger or a central striker, and Xavi is already being tipped to use the youngster as a No. 9 following Aguero’s departure from the club.
The coach wants to use Torres “in the middle” once he’s arrived at Barcelona, a position where Barca B striker Ferran Jutgla has played in recent matches, as reported by Diario Sport.
Using Torres centrally would mean Xavi would look to Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele to play on either side of the new arrival. Xavi aso has Memphis Depay, Ez Abde and Martin Braithwaite as back-up options in attack.
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Barcelona Confirm Deal For €55 Million Sergio Aguero Replacement