The millionaire clause that benefits City if Barça wants to make a deal with Ferran Torres

2023-05-26 08:00:51

BarcelonaWinter 2021. Barça, despite financial emergencies, is negotiating the first major signing after the farewell of Leo Messi. Xavi Hernández has only recently been in charge, he has landed on the Blaugrana bench after the dismissal of Ronald Koeman and the interning of Sergi Barjuan. In his debut, against Espanyol, the coach goes out with Gavi and Ilias Akhomach on the wings. It doesn’t take long to call for reinforcements for the winter market. The first to arrive will be Ferran Torres. The winger, faced with Tottenham’s refusal to part with Harry Kane, had started the season at Manchester City developing as we, but an injury sidelined him for almost three months. The fact of feeling that it would be difficult for him to scratch minutes in Guardiola’s team, the desire to return to the League and Xavi’s insistence to urgently incorporate a striker who could play on the wing and also in the center of the attack they made Barça agree to pay 55 million euros plus variables to the group citizen.

A season and a half later, Ferran Torres has not convinced either the coaching staff or the Camp Nou crowd. Despite alternating some notable performances – the most recent, a goal against Atlético de Madrid at the Camp Nou that practically sealed the League championship -, the footballer from Foios has not managed to establish himself in Xavi’s starting eleven. Dembélé, first, and Raphinha, then, have gone ahead of him on the right wing, where Ferran likes to play the most. Xavi has also repeatedly preferred to bet on playing with a fourth midfielder on the left (often Gavi), rather than relying on the ex-City man.

In order to turn his situation around, the Valencian attacker has done physical and preparation work on his own to supplement the day-to-day life at Sant Joan Despí and has also put himself in the hands of a psychologist, because he had reached to overshadow after having a very discreet start to the season. “It wasn’t me, I hit rock bottom,” he confessed a few months ago in a face-to-face meeting with the ARA and other media.

The variable that benefits the City

Ferran has done his part, but his football has not taken off in Barcelona and, for this reason, he is one of the transferable footballers this summer. Although the squad was revolutionized last summer, this year the main way to generate income and balance the salary margin is, above all, through the sale of players. The specialized portal Transfermarkt, which several clubs are considering, values ​​the Valencia winger at 30 million. In his case, however, for the sale to be profitable for Barça, the operation should be between 40 and 55 million euros or be higher than 65 million euros.

On the one hand, because there are approximately 40 million euros left to pay off the fixed cost of his transfer (55 million). On the other hand, because his exit is also conditioned by one of the variables agreed with the City. As the ARA already advanced, the English ensured that they would take 10 million from a future transfer of Ferran as long as he does not renew with Barça and the sale is higher than 55 million. Therefore, if the Barça club wants to make a bit of money or sell it for an amount between 40 and 55 million or for a figure higher than 65 million. The rest of the variables consist of seven million if he renews with Barça, five million if he wins the Ballon d’Or and five million if he wins the Champions League playing 60% of the games (playing 45 minutes or more per game).

Ferran Torres wants to stay at Barça

Faced with the difficulties in finding clubs willing to pay a figure of around 50 million euros for Ferran, the club also plans to transfer him with an option to buy. The main market where he could land is in the Premier League, where he played 43 games and scored 16 goals in a season and a half at City. Before landing in Barcelona, ​​other clubs such as Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax also asked about him. The option of moving to Aston Villa, as of now, is not foreseen by the player despite the fact that the salary was higher than that of Barça.

Those around Ferran Torres are aware that they will be under pressure from the club to accept a departure, but their intention is to continue with Blaugrana. They do not hide that Ferran has not had a prominent role this season, but they point out that he wants to live, at least, one season naturally and try to earn a place in Xavi’s eleven. “The first year came in January and he was coming off a three-month injury. Last year, because of a foot injury, he also couldn’t start the season normally. He is 23 years old and other young players, like Julián Álvarez, world champion, or Phil Foden, the great pearl of the City squad, are not headliners either”, they argue. “Barça bet on Ferran and he bet on Barça. He’s only been here a year and a half,” they say. If the club wants to get rid of him, it won’t be easy. The Valencia winger, for his part, is not throwing in the towel.