Barcelona's Ferran Torres upgrade REVEALED

Tom Weber

• Updated: 12 Jun 2023 14:01 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona are ready to offload Ferran Torres and they already have a potential replacement lined up.

Torres has struggled to have the desired impact at the Camp Nou since his €55 million move from Manchester City in January 2022. The Spaniard has not been favoured by head coach Xavi, making just 18 starts in the bygone season.

Despite some obvious weaknesses, particularly in front of goal, the winger still has significant potential, and at 23, he is being wasted at Barcelona. Unsurprisingly, then, there are clubs interested in securing his services, chief among them Newcastle, who are still keen on Torres - as we recently reported - despite seeing their advances rebuffed in the January window.

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Unlike in the winter, Barcelona are now said to be open to selling and they are prepared to take a loss on the former City man, with the Blaugrana reportedly asking for between €35m-€40m. They also already have a replacement in mind.

Xavi's Carrasco admiration

Xavi has long been an admirer of Atletico Madrid's Yannick Carrasco. Indeed, the Belgian has been linked with a move to the Camp Nou for ages.

That is because Barcelona negotiated a deal with Atletico when they sold Memphis Depay to the latter. The agreement in question gives the Blaugrana the opportunity to sign Carrasco for €16m this summer.

Though he is aware that the 29-year-old is not a like-for-like replacement for Torres, Xavi is keen on bringing him in anyway, according to Mundo Deportivo. It must be said, however, that they will only make a move if Torres actually gets sold; Carrasco, the report goes on to say, is not a priority at the moment.

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A sale of the Spanish winger would be desirable to the Catalans as he would bring in much-needed money that would go a long way towards balancing the books, which would allow them to bring in reinforcements that suit Xavi's style more.