Ferran Torres: I rejected Real Madrid
Suraj Radia
- 8 Jun 2022 22:30 BST
- 3 min read
Ferran Torres has revealed that he turned down the chance to join Real Madrid on multiple occasions before joining Barcelona from Manchester City.
The 22-year-old signed for Barca in January for €55 million after 18 months in England however he could have easily been playing for their archrivals had the timing worked out.
Torres said: "When I was young I had several opportunities to sign for Real Madrid, but we saw that it wasn't the right time."
"At one time I was at the World Cup and I went up to the Valencia first team and I think it went well.
"The other were when I was a kid and you give more importance to being closer to home."
Related articles
Torres: Man City exit was 'no brainer'
Torres also spoke about his decision to leave City after enduring a 'complicated' season but admitted the choice was easy once manager Xavi spoke to him.
Torres said: “My season was very complicated. First I had the injury, which was very serious. Then I signed for Barca, who were going through a very difficult situation.
“I could have stayed at Manchester City winning many titles, but I wanted a new challenge. Signing for Barcelona is an honour in itself, but when Xavi calls you, it’s a no brainer.”
🗣️ Ferran Torres: “Xavi was decisive, he conveyed his idea to me and I did everything I could to come to Barça.” pic.twitter.com/99b00hWCZl
— infosfcb (@infosfcb) June 8, 2022
Torres recorded four goals and four assists for Barcelona after his mid-season move and he insisted he was calm over his output.
"I have not been overwhelmed," Torres said. "I was very calm. I'm a winger, not a striker, but I have the ability to score and when I can I also have to give assists.
"I'm proud that I've given the team more beyond scoring goals. I'm an ambitious player and when I fail I want to learn.
"I don't eat my head off because you can finish badly, I look back at things so I can improve."
