Ferran Torres Nears £40m Move to PSG After Skipping Barcelona Training

Ferran Torres, the man who delivered Spain’s World Cup glory this summer, is closing in on a high-profile switch from Barcelona to Paris St-Germain after being granted permission to miss training.

The 26-year-old forward was due back with Barcelona on Wednesday, but the club have allowed him to step away as talks with PSG accelerate over a deal expected to exceed £40m.

For Barcelona, the timing is awkward. Torres is fresh from scoring the extra-time winner against Argentina that sealed Spain’s second World Cup, yet he is now edging towards the exit with only a year left on his contract. Some supporters have already bristled at how openly he has discussed the prospect of moving on.

On a media tour in the United States after Spain’s triumph, Torres underlined the uncertainty around his future. “I have a contract with Barcelona but, in football, you never know,” he said.

Pressed on PSG’s interest, he didn’t hide the appeal. “Every time these teams want you it's a good thing. “You never know because in football everything can change in one minute, so I have to be ready for everything.”

PSG, Champions League winners in each of the past two seasons and now coached by former Barcelona player and manager Luis Enrique, see Torres as a key attacking reinforcement. The French champions face Aston Villa in the Super Cup final in Salzburg on Wednesday night, with the club working in the background to close the deal.

The move also fits a wider reshaping of PSG’s forward line. Bradley Barcola could depart this summer, with Liverpool keen on the Frenchman, and Torres offers a proven international pedigree to offset any loss.

Torres joined Barcelona in 2022 after a two-year spell at Manchester City, arriving as part of a new generation expected to carry the club forward. His time at Camp Nou has been punctuated by flashes of quality and long spells of scrutiny, but his record with the national team remains emphatic: 25 goals in 65 appearances for Spain.

Now, with Barcelona braced for a sizeable fee and PSG ready to spend again, the World Cup match-winner stands on the brink of swapping Catalonia for the French capital.