Paris Saint-Germain close to agreement to sign Barcelona forward Ferran Torres

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.

A good deal for everyone?

Analysis by Barcelona correspondent Pol Ballús

At this point, this is the best outcome for all sides.

Ferran Torres gets a big move at a great time in his career, after scoring the winning goal at the World Cup final for Spain last month, maximising his value. His moves and public statements over the last few weeks cast doubt on his Barcelona future, and the fans will not be too affected by his departure.

Last week, Torres travelled to the United States during his holidays and carried out multiple interviews where he was very open about his future plans, did not commit to Barca and urged the club to make a move and show that they wanted him.

Torres scored 21 goals in all competitions last season (Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images)

The words did not sit well with a fanbase feels as though it has seen it all from Torres over the past four years, going from an underwhelming €55m signing at the start of his Barca tenure to a very capable back-up forward under Hansi Flick.

The move would allow Barcelona to cash in on Torres and avoid handing him a big contract, something Deco was reluctant to do as he believed it could have impacted the salary harmony in the dressing room. But it leaves plenty of work in the club’s senior offices.

Robert Lewandowski left by the end of June, after the expiration of his contract, and now Ferran Torres is close to exiting too. None of the last two seasons’ strikers are at the club now, which puts even more pressure on Barcelona’s search for a new number nine. There is growing pessimism over the signing of their primary target, Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, but what is clear now is that Barca will need to do something, and there’s only three weeks left in the transfer window.