Barcelona have confirmed the signing of winger Ferran Torres from Manchester City on a permanent deal until 2027 and with a buyout clause of €1bn.
The 21-year-old will be officially unveiled as a Barcelona player at Camp Nou on 3 January.
New Barça boss Xavi had been looking to sign a new forward in January even before the surprise retirement of Sergio Aguero, who was forced to hang up his boots because of a heart condition.
With Memphis Depay and Martin Braithwaite both out injured, Luuk de Jong was left as the only senior striker in Xavi’s squad, but the boss is keen to offload the Dutchman and has instead put his faith in academy gem Ferran Jutgla while he waits for a new option.
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Torres was always Xavi’s preferred candidate and a deal worth an initial €55m was struck with City, with the 21-year-old travelling to Spain on Sunday to undergo a medical early on Monday morning.
All has gone well and Barcelona have now officially announced Torres as their second signing of the winter, following the return of Dani Alves to Camp Nou in November.
Primarily a winger, Torres has spent plenty of time as a central striker in the past, including this season with City after Aguero’s departure left them without a number nine of their own.
The belief is that Xavi wants to use Torres in that central role in Barcelona, at least until Memphis returns from his hamstring injury in January and offers more competition for the position.
Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele are Xavi’s preferred duo on the wing, although much will depend on whether the latter can be convinced to extend his contract, which is due to expire at the end of the season.
SOURCE: 90MINS
