Barcelona’s hopes of signing Ferran Torres in the January 2022 transfer window have hit a stumbling block, with Manchester City setting the player’s price tag at 70 million euros, as per Marca.
The Blaugrana are financially restricted and could be forced to sell several players of their own to fund a move for the Spaniard. Instead, they will try to include unwanted players in the deal for Torres, hoping to bring the price tag down, as per the report.
Among the names suggested for a potential swap deal with the Citizens are Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, and Clement Lenglet; none of the three players are currently key to the Blaugrana’s first-team plans.
The club could also include Ousmane Dembele in the Torres deal. The Frenchman’s contract will run out at the end of the season, and this could be their last chance to derive some value out of him.
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However, Manchester City aren’t interested in the players suggested above. Defending Premier League champions would only entertain a swap offer if one of Pedri or Ansu Fati are included – which isn’t likely. Barcelona recently tied the pair to new long-term deals which included a release clause of a billion euros each, signifying how valuable the teenagers are to the club.
As a result, the touted Torres transfer is currently stalled, with Barcelona in the midst of financial distress. However, the player is keen on a move to Camp Nou, with reports earlier this week claiming that personal terms between him and the club have already been straightened out and that a long-term deal with reduced wages is waiting to be signed should the two clubs strike an agreement.
Nonetheless, should the move not go through in the upcoming winter window, the Catalans will return for Torres in the summer when they will have more room to manoeuvre in terms of the transfer fees and the total wage bill.
