Ferran Torres transfer: How Barcelona afforded Man City forward and what his move means for Raheem Sterling

Ferran Torres has signed for Barcelona from Manchester City, and it is a transfer which raises more questions than your average move.

The most puzzling aspect of this reported £46.4m plus £8.4m in add-ons move, is where exactly Barcelona got this £46.4m plus £8.4m in add-ons to afford the Spanish forward.

Barca president Joan Laporta last provided an update on their financial crisis in August, blaming the previous regime under Josep Maria Bartomeu for their “very worrying” and ever-increasing debt, standing at £1.15bn four months ago.

It twisted Barca in knots, resulted in Lionel Messi’s departure and required several players to take pay cuts just to register new players. Then La Liga’s spending caps restricted the Catalan club further – a season of £85m to spend on signings and salaries while Real Madrid can afford almost eight times that amount.

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So, about this £46.4m plus £8.4m in add-ons. It is within their limits financially for the campaign, while a loan from Goldman Sachs to the amount of £443.2m has helped them stay afloat, and was described by Laporta in June as “necessary to give the club breathing space”.

Sergio Aguero’s retirement has also given the club breathing space when it comes to wages. The Argentine’s Nou Camp career lasted all of five games and one goal before a heart condition forced him to hang up his boots.

Barca were only able to initially register Aguero in the summer after Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets accepted reduced salaries, and reports claim the striker forfeited the second year of his contract after the abrupt end to his career.

The Aguero-shaped hole could yet be filled by Edinson Cavani, according to reports in Spain, but to afford both Torres and the Manchester United striker, some players will likely have to depart Barca.

Indeed, Barca’s priority in January is to sell, claim Sport, with Philippe Coutinho and Sergino Dest among the players they would be willing to offload, while Luuk de Jong’s loan from Sevilla could be cut short if they can find him another club for the remainder of the campaign.

Ferran Torres’ Manchester City career in numbers

• Appearances: 43
• Goals: 16
• Honours: Premier League, Carabao Cup, Champions League runners-up
• Transfer fee: £20.8m from Valencia, 2020

Barca are a club looking to shift on spare parts with a view to the future. The same could be said for City in selling Torres, particularly as agent Mino Raiola will be working to get client Erling Haaland the best deal possible come the summer – and that won’t be cheap.

Ultimately, Torres leaves less than 18 months after he moved to Manchester when he took the No 21 shirt vacated by David Silva.

“When the opportunity to take on the 21 shirt came along, I couldn’t say no,” Torres said shortly after signing for City.

“David is a Manchester City legend, so to have the chance to succeed him is an honour and something I am very proud to do. He spent ten years here, won every major English honour and the fans say he is the best they’ve seen. If I can come close to emulating him, I will be doing very well.”

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Torres has not come close to emulating Silva and departs after a campaign-and-a-half where he could never quite hold down a starting spot. Last season it was 15 Premier League starts, nine appearances off the bench and 13 games where he remained an unused sub.

He showed greater promise in the Champions League, outlining his capability to play as a centre forward in the group stages when scoring four goals. From the knockouts onwards, though, Pep Guardiola found a formula which helped them reach the final, and Torres played no part in their last six European games, watching on from the bench every time.

This term a fractured foot stopped Torres in his tracks after starting City’s first four league games as their centre forward. Now Gabriel Jesus, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish are among the players to have started in this role, making Torres’ route back to the starting XI more crowded than ever.

It is a case of what could have been given Bernardo Silva looked set to leave in the summer before emerging as one of City’s most consistent performers. Perhaps that could have been Torres had he not picked up the injury on international duty with Spain, but now we will never find out.

Torres’ departure could also quieten talk of Raheem Sterling seeking a new challenge elsewhere. The England forward had been linked with Barcelona himself and admitted he was open to a move abroad back in October, but since then Guardiola has started the 27-year-old in seven of City’s last eight league games.

Sterling has repaid this faith by scoring six goals in that time, including two against Leicester on Boxing Day, while City’s nine-game winning run has helped them open up a gap at the top.

When it matters most, in this busy festive period, City have withstood every test so far, scoring 17 goals in their last three games, and doing so without Torres. Such is their depth it is a transfer which will not really impact them, but Barca will value his presence much more and hope it signals the start of a reverse in fortunes, a nod to future potential triumphs beyond this season – which is already turning into one to forget.

from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3mEuB7s