Exclusive: Arsenal and Aston Villa eye 'world-class' star Man City sold for £47m, Arteta is a big fan
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Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Arsenal are keeping tabs on Ferran Torres but the former Manchester City star will only return to the Premier League if he pushes to leave Barcelona.
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While Barcelona have now decided to remove Raphinha from the transfer list following a stellar start to the new campaign for the former Leeds United talisman, the eternally cash-strapped Spanish giants are not quite so incessant about keeping Ferran Torres in Catalonia.
Nearly three years since leaving Manchester City in a deal worth £47 million, Ferran Torres is still struggling to nail down a regular place in Barcelona’s XI.
He has started five La Liga games out of eight this term, scoring once.
And while the one-time Valencia flyer is finding starts easier to come by than he did under Xavi Hernandez, sources speaking to TBR close to Barcelona insist that any offers are likely to be considered.
TBR understands that Aston Villa and Newcastle United are admirers of Torres.
Arsenal boss and former Man City assistant coach Mikel Arteta is also a huge fan, with a move to North London not entirely off the cards at this stage either. Arsenal were linked with Barcelona’s number seven over the summer too.
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle keeping tabs on Ferran Torres situation
Torres is in no rush to leave the Camp Nou, however.
TBR have been told that the versatile attacker has turned down moves in previous transfer windows and is likely to do the same again in 2025. Torres is happy to remain as a squad player under new boss Hansi Flick.
As such, Aston Villa and Newcastle – plus maybe Arsenal – will not waste their time pursuing Torres unless they are given some encouragement that he is ready to change his mind and embark upon a fresh start in England.
Torres’ time in the red and blue of Barcelona has divided opinion.
With 11 goals from 42 appearances last term, a man who averages almost one-in-two for Spain is yet to really become a finisher at club level.
Furthermore, he is unlikely to be in Barcelona’s preferred XI when everyone is fit and available; Robert Lewandowski leading the line, flanked by Lamine Yamal and a form-of-his-life Raphinha.
Yet, at the age of just 24, the Valencian-born Torres still has plenty of time to develop into a world-leading talent. The type of which Xavi and Pep Guardiola believe he can become.
Xavi and Pep Guardiola have lauded Barcelona and Spain star
“Perhaps Ferran has surprised me the most,” Xavi said shortly following his arrival in Barcelona. “He’s a player on another level. He’s spectacular, how he understands the space, links play, doesn’t lose the ball, his defensive work…
“He’s world-class.”
Torres scored a hat-trick against current suitors Newcastle as Man City triumphed 4-3 at St James’ Park back in 2021. He is a player Villa bosses Unai Emery and Monchi will know well from their time in Spain, meanwhile.
Guardiola, three years ago, suggested that Torres could be utilised as a replacement for the departing Sergio Aguero at the Etihad. That was, of course, a role Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland would end up inheriting instead.
But still, there remains a feeling among some that Torres’ excellent movement and nose for goal mean he is better suited to playing as a number nine than out wide.
“His first season in England and his numbers are exceptional,” Guardiola said after Torres’ Tyneside treble. “He came as a winger, but he has to think about [being] a striker.
“He didn’t have many minutes, but when he played, he had a sense of goal.
“Yeah, he can be [a centre-forward]. He was brilliant. The smell, the strikers know, intuitively where [the ball] will arrive. He has this talent.”
