Ferran Torres set for £40m PSG transfer after Barcelona training skip
Ferran Torres, the man who delivered Spain’s World Cup glory this summer, is closing in on a move to Paris St-Germain after being granted permission to miss Barcelona training.
The 26-year-old forward was due back with the Catalan club on Wednesday, but Barcelona have allowed him to step away as talks with PSG accelerate over a deal expected to top £40m.
Torres’ stock has never been higher. His extra-time winner against Argentina secured Spain’s second World Cup title and pushed him firmly into the spotlight of Europe’s elite. Now that form looks set to carry him from Camp Nou to the Parc des Princes.
From World Cup hero to transfer headline
Torres has just one year left on his Barcelona contract, a situation that has sharpened the club’s willingness to negotiate and raised tension among supporters. Some fans have bristled at how openly he has discussed the possibility of leaving.
On a media tour in the United States after Spain’s triumph, he kept his options clearly open.
“I have a contract with Barcelona but, in football, you never know,” he said, laying bare the uncertainty around his future.
Pressed on PSG’s interest, he did not hide the appeal.
“Every time these teams want you it’s a good thing,” he admitted. “You never know because in football everything can change in one minute, so I have to be ready for everything.”
Those words now feel less like diplomacy and more like a prelude.
PSG move gathers pace
PSG, preparing to face Aston Villa in the Super Cup final in Salzburg on Wednesday night, are pushing to add Torres to a squad that has already conquered Europe in each of the last two seasons. The French champions are coached by Luis Enrique, the former Barcelona manager and player who knows the club – and the type of forward he wants – inside out.
The move also fits PSG’s wider puzzle. Bradley Barcola could depart this summer, with Liverpool interested in the French forward, and Torres offers a proven, high-level replacement who can slot into multiple attacking roles.
For Barcelona, it marks the possible end of a relatively short chapter. Torres joined the club in 2022 after two years at Manchester City, arriving as part of a new attacking wave. His time in Catalonia has been solid rather than spectacular, framed by financial constraints and constant squad reshaping.
With Spain, though, his numbers tell a different story. Torres has scored 25 goals in 65 appearances for the national team, a return that underlines why PSG are ready to invest heavily.
If the final details fall into place, Barcelona will lose a World Cup match-winner and PSG will add another to their growing collection. The only question now is how quickly Torres swaps the blaugrana for the Parisian night.
