Barcelona set to offer Ferran Torres in exchange for key target

Stuart Telford

• 29 Apr 2023 14:21 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona could offer Ferran Torres in part-exchange for Atletico Madrid wide man Yannick Carrasco, according to reports in Spain.

Barca are determined to add to their squad in the summer despite being told by La Liga to reduce their debt by €200 million if they want to take part in the competition next season.

Bringing Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain is their priority, and the club legend is reportedly close to agreeing terms on a deal that would see him earn €25 million a season as well as receiving a percentage of his shirt sales.

READ: Barcelona resort to desperate measures in Messi pursuit

To that end, Barca transfer listed four players last week: Ferran, as well as Ansu Fati, Franck Kessie and Jordi Alba, while they will also listen to offers for Raphinha and Eric Garcia.

However, some of those assets are more saleable than others.

Ferran for Carrasco?

"The players don't want to leave," report Sport. "And, in some cases, reasonable offers are not being found to generate profits… Ferran could enter into part-exchange deal or go out on loan."

As previously reported, Carrasco has a clause in his Atletico Madrid contract that allows him to join Barcelona for €20m, meanwhile - although Barca don't want to pay even that for a player whose highest ETV was €38.8m per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.

READ: Barcelona to pull Griezmann stunt on Atletico Madrid over Carrasco

But they could offer Ferran in exchange, getting the former Manchester City man's €10m-a-year salary off the books in the process.

Barca's interest in the swap is tactical as well as financial. In Ousmane Dembele and Messi, they would be covered in the wide attacking areas, and Carrasco's ability to play on the wing also allows Messi and his 36-year-old legs to sit deeper in midfield.

But Carrasco can also play as a left wing-back, and with Alba also to be offloaded, that would otherwise leave the 19-year-old Alejandro Balde as the only cover in the position.