Paris Saint-Germain are close to reaching an agreement for Barcelona forward Ferran Torres.
The 26-year-old is not expected to resume training with Hansi Flick’s side as the two clubs look to finalise a deal, with discussions over a transfer fee ongoing.
The Athletic reported in July that Torres’s Barcelona future was in doubt.
Barcelona are open to selling the forward due to the fact that any renewal of his contract would require a payment of around €8millon (£6.8m; $9.2m) to be made to Manchester City, owing to a clause in the deal which saw him join Barca from City for an initial €55m plus a further €10m in add-ons in January 2022.
Sources familiar with the situation — speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment publicly, like others consulted for this article — said Barcelona sporting director Deco was reluctant to offer Torres a contract extension because of the financial ramifications a deal would have.
Senior Barca sources said the club is open to selling him, avoiding the possibility of Torres leaving as a free agent at the end of 2026-27.
Torres’ departure mean that Barca would lose their two main strikers from last season, after Robert Lewandowski also left the club upon the expiry of his contract.
Torres scored 21 times in 49 appearances under Flick last season, operating mostly up front but also featuring on either wing. At this summer’s World Cup, he was utilised as a substitute by Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente, and netted the winning goal in the 106th minute to ensure his nation won back-to-back major international tournaments.
Since joining Barcelona, Torres has made 207 appearances, recording 65 goals and 23 assists. He has played a major role in the club’s back-to-back La Liga titles, while he also contributed to their league success in the 2022-23 season.
Barca signed 25-year-old England winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle in an €80m deal in late May (including potential add-ons), German forward Karim Adeyemi also arriving at the club from Borussia Dortmund for an initial €22m plus add-ons.
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez has been the club’s primary target for the No 9 spot, with the Argentina international expressing a desire to join Barca, but Atletico have insisted that he is not for sale.
