Barcelona complete signing of Spain starlet Ferran Torres, official

Following an agreement between Barcelona and Manchester City, Ferran Torres has put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal with the Catalans, keeping him in Barcelona until 2027.

Barcelona have completed their first reinforcement ahead of the new year, as they look to have a more successful second half of the season, seeing as the first was plagued by injuries and tumult around the club.

The reinforcement comes in the form of a Valencia youth academy product and now ex-Manchester City player, Ferran Torres. The 21-year-old wide forward joins Xavi Hernández‘ side as the first transfer under the Terrassa-born’s managerial tenure in Catalonia.

Torres joins as a player who brings quality out wide, but also is capable of being deployed as a ‘false 9’ or a more traditional attacking midfielder, something which could fit Xavi’s system very well, especially with the somewhat imminent return of Ansu Fati, as well as the continued growth of the club’s academy products.

The midfielder, who has blossomed under Luis Enrique for the Spanish national team, joins Barcelona on a five-year-deal that sees him tied to the Catalans until 2027. He, like several others in Barcelona’s roster, has a release clause of 1 billion euros, and joins the club’s array of Dream Teens, including Pedri, Ronald Araujo, Óscar Mingueza, Ansu Fati, and of course his friend and former Manchester City teammate, Eric Garcia.

Torres himself has expressed his happiness with the signing going through, in a short video posted on the club’s social media channels:

“Hello culés [Barcelona fans]. I’m happy to announce that today I will join the club. See you soon,” a happy Torres announced in a 24-second clip posted by Barcelona, referring to Torres as a new part of the club’s ‘Dream Teen’ collection.

The presentation of the club’s latest signing will take place shortly after the turn of the year, on Monday, January 3, at 11:00 AM local time. He will be presented at the Camp Nou as a Barcelona player, before an open doors training session takes place at noon. Two hours later, at 2:00 PM, he will be hosting his first press conference as a Barcelona player, at the Ricard Maxenchs press room at the Camp Nou facilities. Due to the pandemic’s recent rise, the press conference will take place remotely.

The entire ceremony can be streamed on the club’s premium streaming service, Barca TV+, as well as on the club’s official digital channels, from 10:30 AM on January 3, 2022.

Ferran Torres has previously only played for Manchester City and Valencia. He joined the latter’s academy back in 2006, and spent 11 years in their youth system before getting promoted to their sub-19 side in the summer of 2016. A year later, he found himself in their B-squad before becoming a first teamer in 2018.

Two years later, he made the switch abroad to join Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, but has due to several factors not been able to find his footing in England, now opting for a switch back to his home country, albeit to wear different colors this time.