Ferran Torres skips Barcelona training as PSG move nears

Ferran Torres, Spain’s World Cup match-winner and one of the faces of their summer triumph, has been allowed to miss Barcelona training as he closes in on a move to Paris St-Germain.

The 26-year-old forward was scheduled to report back to the Catalan club on Wednesday, but Barcelona have given him permission to stay away while talks with PSG accelerate over a deal expected to exceed £40m.

From World Cup glory to transfer brink

Torres’ stock has rarely been higher. His extra-time winner against Argentina sealed Spain’s second World Cup title this summer and pushed him firmly into the spotlight of Europe’s elite.

That surge in profile has collided with a delicate contract situation. He has just one year left on his Barcelona deal, and a section of the fanbase has grown increasingly irritated by how openly he has discussed the possibility of leaving.

On a media tour in the United States after lifting the World Cup, Torres kept the door wide open.

“I have a contract with Barcelona but, in football, you never know,” he said, underlining the uncertainty around his future.

Pressed specifically on PSG’s interest, he did not duck the question.

“Every time these teams want you it's a good thing,” he admitted. “You never know because in football everything can change in one minute, so I have to be ready for everything.”

PSG move gathers pace

PSG, Champions League winners in each of the past two seasons and now under the guidance of former Barcelona player and coach Luis Enrique, are pushing to add another high-impact attacker to a squad already built for deep European runs.

The French champions face Aston Villa in the Super Cup final in Salzburg on Wednesday night, with the Torres deal moving in parallel in the background. If completed at the expected fee, it would represent a significant outlay for a player entering the final year of his contract.

There is also a wider squad picture in Paris. Bradley Barcola could depart this summer, with Liverpool keen on the forward. Losing Barcola and landing Torres would reshape PSG’s attacking options again, this time with a World Cup hero stepping into the frame.

End of a short Barcelona chapter?

Torres joined Barcelona in 2022 after two years at Manchester City, arriving as part of the club’s attacking rebuild. His time at Camp Nou has been relatively brief but eventful, marked by flashes of quality and constant scrutiny over his role in a crowded forward line.

For Spain, his numbers speak loudly: 25 goals in 65 appearances, a return that underpins why a club of PSG’s stature is prepared to move decisively.

Now, with training ground gates closed to him and Paris calling, the question is no longer whether Torres will leave Barcelona, but how quickly he will swap the Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes – and what that move will mean for two European giants already jostling for the continent’s top honours.