Xavi admits Barcelona's Ferran Torres registration issue

Spanish giants Barcelona will be unable to register Ferran Torres until they offload some players and lighten up their wage bill, manager Xavi has admitted.

The LaLiga giants have been struggling with their finances for a while now, and were unable to hold on to club legend Lionel Messi during the summer. They have now brought in 21-year-old Torres from Manchester City, with Xavi desperate to shore up his attack following Sergio Aguero's untimely retirement from football.

However, due to LaLiga's salary cap rules, the Spaniard will be unable to feature for the club until he is officially registered as a Barca player.

"Ferran Torres is a spectacular signing, both as a player and a person," Xavi said via Goal.

"He's coming off an important injury, he has fantastic commitment, he's going to give us a lot, I've no doubt about it. He can play in different positions, I'm very happy with the effort made by the club to get him."

Xavi added that the club will need to offload players and suggested that letting go of Ousmane Dembele could help allow Torres to register. 'We'll see how the salary cap situation is, if it's possible right away," he added.

"There has to be players leaving. If we get Dembele to re-sign his contract and lower his pay it will allow us to sign Torres and we hope that it can happen.

“I don't think he could be in a happier place than here. Barcelona is the best club in the world, the sports project is more important that the economic factors, and I have told him that. That is why I am hopeful.

“I simply told him that we need him. He is an important player for us. He knows the sports project is intriguing. The economic issues don't concern me.”