“Show that they want me, that they come to negotiate and, in the end, it’s all talk. The good thing is that since I have a contract, I can wait and decide on my own,” Ferran Torres responded to Sportico during his media tour in the United States when asked what Barça should do to keep him. “For now, the only thing I know is that on August 12 I have to join there (in Barcelona) to train with the team. We’ll see what happens,” he added later on the The Source program on CNN with Kaitlan Collins. He had said something similar a few hours earlier on NBC’s Today program: “I have a contract (until June 30, 2027) with Barça but in football, you never know.”
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On CNN, Collins asked an even more specific question. “Would you be open to changing your team for PSG?” she asked him. “You never know, because in football everything can change in a minute. That’s why I have to be prepared for any scenario,” the Valencian replied. The host insisted and wanted to know how one makes such an important decision. “Trying to think about what will make me and my family happiest,” he answered.
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At Barcelona, they have listened carefully to all of Ferran’s statements on the return flight after completing nine days of training camp. There is a lot of calm in the club regarding the matter. They don’t want to sell him, but to renew him. And they will talk to him starting August 12 when he returns to the club’s routine. Flick has publicly reiterated his confidence in the Valencian, who finished last season with 21 official goals. Additionally, he scored 16 goals in the League, which allowed him to win the Zarra Trophy alongside Lamine Yamal. “I spoke with him during the World Cup, but now he is on vacation and I respect that; he is one of ours and showed in many matches last season how important he can be,” Flick said in Birmingham.
The club insists it has no offers from PSG for the forward and wants to extend his contract in September
Barça’s intention – in the offices, they claim they do not know of any offer from PSG, neither formal nor informal – is to close the extension in September, with the market already closed, since it would also have economic implications: if he renews, they will have to pay 8 million euros to Manchester City for the variables agreed in his transfer and, if they sell him for more than 50, they must pay another 10 million. It should be remembered that, from January, the forward from Foios will be free to negotiate with any club and leave for free at the end of his contract. If he wants to leave, Barcelona will not put up problems, but they will negotiate a reasonable exit price to be able to strengthen themselves in the market.
Julián Álvarez is a priority but in the offices they claim the offensive versatility of Adeyemi and Gordon
All in all, the number nine dilemma grows. After Lewandowski’s departure, Barça keeps the door open to Julián Álvarez because they consider there are few profiles that fit the associative number nine they are looking for and Flick, a coach who has repeated several times that “we have to do something with the number nine; I trust Deco.” Even so, at Barça there is no feeling that they have to obsess over signing a center forward.
The sports management understands that the real need was on the wings, where the team lost a lot of level last season when Lamine Yamal or Raphinha were missing, and that is why they reinforced offensive versatility with Adeyemi and Gordon, who can also play through the center. Another option considered is that Dani Olmo acts as a false nine or that Lamine gains prominence through the central lane.
Before that, the situation of Ferran must be resolved, converted from winger to number nine and who will return to training on the 12th. The 10 will be Julián at Atlético. However, according to Sport and Jijantes, Deco and Joao Amaral landed in Madrid yesterday to try to unblock the Argentine’s operation.
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