Paris Saint-Germain has officially announced the signing of Spanish forward Ferran Torres from Barcelona on a contract running until the summer of 2031. He will wear the number 9 shirt for the European champions.
Ferran’s transfer came at the direct request of Luis Enrique, who knows his capabilities well from their time together with the Spanish national team. He views his ability to play as a traditional striker or on the wings as a fitting addition to the attacking flexibility the Parisian team relies on.
Ferran had paved the way for his departure when asked about PSG’s interest, confirming that interest from a club of this magnitude is a positive thing, before adding: “I have a contract with Barcelona, but in football, you never know what can happen.” He also spoke about missing the feeling of being loved within the walls of Camp Nou.
Contacts between the player and the Paris manager began during the World Cup, before the two parties reached an agreement on personal terms even prior to the final. The two clubs then entered negotiations, which saw Barcelona reject initial offers before reaching a final formula.
In his first statements after completing the transfer, Ferran said: “I am extremely happy to start a new adventure with an ambitious club like Paris Saint-Germain. I would like to thank President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Luis Campos, and coach Luis Enrique for giving me the opportunity to join this team, which I hope to help win as many titles as possible.”
The two clubs did not officially disclose the financial details, while press reports circulated a figure of 45 million euros as a fixed fee without add-ons. Meanwhile, AS and Cadena SER reported that the fee reached 50 million, making the final figure a point of difference among sources.
However, what is certain is that keeping the fee below 55 million euros was not a trivial detail for Barcelona. Ferran’s purchase contract from Manchester City included a clause obligating the Catalan club to pay an additional 10 million euros to the English champions if the player was resold for more than 55 million.
Thus, Barcelona receiving the full 45 or 50 million euros was more beneficial than slightly raising the deal’s value and then losing ten million to Manchester City. The club also avoided another clause that would have forced them to pay between 7 and 8 million euros to City if the player’s contract, which was set to expire in the summer of 2027, was renewed.
Ferran joined Barcelona in January 2022 for a fixed fee of 55 million euros. He played around 207 matches for the team, scoring 65 goals, and won seven titles: three La Liga titles, three Spanish Super Cups, and one Copa del Rey.
The Spanish forward experienced his best goal-scoring season over the past year, netting 21 goals across all competitions, including 16 in the league, tying with Lamine Yamal as Barcelona’s top scorer in La Liga. He also left his mark in major matches, including the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid.
At Paris, Ferran will try to compensate for the departure of Goncalo Ramos to Milan, but he will face strong competition from Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola, although his ability to play in multiple positions gives him an important edge in Luis Enrique’s plans.
As for Barcelona, they are now practically required to sign a new striker after losing Robert Lewandowski and then selling Ferran, especially since the team currently lacks a reliable natural goalscorer for the entire season.
