Man City's Torres 'is Barcelona's No 1 target for the January window'
Man City’s Ferran Torres ‘is Barcelona’s No 1 target for the January window as the Spanish giants try and seal a £45m deal’ with Xavi desperate to add new players to his struggling squad
- Ferran Torres is Barcelona’s No 1 target for the January transfer window
- Xavi wants to overhaul and inject some much-needed quality into his attack
- Torres moved to the Premier League champions for £21m in the summer of 2020
- City want £42.5m but Barcelona will need to clear up space in their wage bill
Ferran Torres is Barcelona’s No 1 target for the January transfer window, according to reports in Spain, as Xavi tries to overhaul and inject some much-needed quality into his attack.
The cash-strapped Catalans – who are saddled by debts exceeding £1billion – are in desperate need of new signings after their worst start to a season in 34 years, with club legend Xavi tasked with turning the tide after Ronald Koeman’s sacking.
His plans were dealt a major blow on Wednesday when Sergio Aguero, who joined on a free transfer from Manchester City in the summer, announced his retirement from football due to a heart problem.
Man City forward Ferran Torres is Barcelona’s No 1 target for the January transfer window
It has left a huge hole in Xavi’s attacking options. He now has just Luuk de Joing, Martin Braithwaite and Memphis Depay who can operate as a No 9 and the boss wants to address that in January.
According to Spanish newspaper SPORT, Torres is the club’s primary target and they will do all they can to strike a deal with City next month.
It’s claimed Xavi wants a player who can make an immediate impact on the pitch but is also young enough to compete for a number of years to come.
Torres moved to the Premier League champions from LaLiga side Valencia for just £21million in the summer of 2020 and has impressed with his clinical finishing and all-round attacking play.
The 21-year-old has 16 goals in 43 appearances under Pep Guardiola but has missed a large chunk of this season due to a fractured foot suffered on international duty in October.
It’s claimed Barcelona have already struck a deal over personal terms with Torres and are now negotiating a financial package with City, which is ‘getting closer’.
City reportedly want €50million (£42.5m) for Torres but Barcelona will need to clear up space in their wage bill as they try to restore some financial security.
Torres joined City for £21m in 2020 and has 16 goals in 43 appearances under Pep Guardiola
Barcelona are in desperate need of attacking reinforcement’s after Sergio Aguero retired
It’s thought Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho are both being offered out to clubs by Barcelona as they try and shift some players to bring new ones in.
Torres’ versatility in being able to play across the front three positions is understood to appeal to Xavi and the Barcelona boss could use his close ties with former mentor Guardiola to help sign the Spaniard in January.
Anthony Martial is also reportedly on Barcelona’s radar, with the Frenchman pining for a Manchester United exit next month.
Last week, the 26-year-old’s agent revealed that Martial is desperate for a new challenge having faced limited game time at Old Trafford this season.
‘He just needs to play,’ his agent, Philippe Lamboley, said last week. ‘He doesn’t want to stay in January and I will speak to the club soon.’
Martial’s United team-mate Edinson Cavani is also reportedly a target, as is Basel striker Arthur Cabral.
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