Barcelona Confirm Signing Of Manchester City Star: A Big Blow For Pep Guardiola Here?

In an official statement, Barcelona have announced the capture of Ferran Torres. The Manchester City star has joined the Catalans on a permanent deal with a contract until June 2027. He will be presented as a Barcelona player in less than a week, with the forward becoming the club’s first signing under Xavi.

Ferran Torres’ Story At Manchester City

Ferran Torres joined Manchester City in the summer of 2020, in a €28 million move from Valencia. The youngster was regarded as a future prospect, having made a name for himself as an explosive winger in Laliga.

However, under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, Ferran Torres became a more versatile outlet in the attacking third. After initially starting his career at Etihad as a winger, the Spaniard soon started to operate in a more central role. He made a solid impression as well, showcasing excellent aggression while his technical prowess had made him an ideal fit for Guardiola’s tactical setup.

During his spell at Man City, Ferran made 43 competitive appearances, netting 16 goals while providing four assists. The Spaniard started the new season with three goal involvements in his first four league matches, but a fractured foot injury marred his progress.

As a result, Torres has been restricted to just over 300 minutes of league football in the Premier League before the attacker eventually chose to join Barcelona.

A Massive Blow For Guardiola?

Ferran Torres’ exit in January is certainly not good news for a Manchester City side that failed to sign an ideal replacement for Sergio Aguero in the summer. They had notably failed in their pursuit of Harry Kane and even Cristiano Ronaldo.

While Ferran Torres is not a recognised centre-forward, his tactical versatility, combined with his technical prowess and flexibility could have been extremely handy for Guardiola, especially in the latter stages of the season when he is often forced to rely on rotation week in week out.

At the same time, Guardiola’s men have mastered the art of playing without a recognised centre-forward. Not to mention, the exit of Ferran could open the avenue could for the Citizens to spend the big bucks in the market, either in January or next summer, when the likes of Erling Haaland and Dusan Vlahovic all set to become available.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see whether Ferran manages to live up to his expectations at Barcelona and help the Catalans finish the season on a strong note.