Ferran Torres set for Barcelona move as Man City ponder replacement

Manchester City forward Ferran Torres is closing in on a €60m move to Barcelona, with a medical due to take place imminently.

Torres only arrived at the Etihad Stadium in summer 2020, with City swooping to sign him from Valencia as the Spanish side undertook a mass clearout of players.

During his maiden season at the club the 21-year-old managed 13 goals and three assists in 36 appearances. He seemed to make good progress this campaign too, scoring three times in his first seven games while being deployed in a nominally centre-forward role.

He also established himself as Spain's starting frontman before fracturing his foot during La Roja's UEFA Nations League finals campaign.

Torres is still recovering from that injury, but that has not stopped him agreeing a move to Barcelona. 90min first reported on the Blaugrana's interest all the way back in November and things have progressed considerably since then.

90min understands that Torres will cost the cash-strapped European giants in excess of €60m including add-ons and he will sign a five-year deal. He could even be in Catalunya on Thursday to sign his contract and undergo preliminary medical checks.

City are keen to replace him, though they have not decided on a successor yet. One player that has been discussed is Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who predominantly operates in wide areas, while they spent the majority of last summer pursuing Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

Barça have long been known to be on the lookout for offensive reinforcements due to a series of blunt attacking displays this season. They scored just twice in the Champions League group stages this campaign and have similarly struggled to find the net in La Liga.

Their striking situation was then worsened by the revelation that Sergio Aguero would be forced to retire from football after being diagnosed with a heart condition.

Torres will add some much-needed firepower up front for the Blaugrana and Xavi is understood to be keen to make the Spaniard a central piece in his rebuilding project.

Barcelona are currently a distant seventh in La Liga, 15 points adrift of leaders Real Madrid. They will also be playing in the Europa League in the winter, after slipping to a third-place finish in their Champions League group.

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