Barcelona has allowed Ferran Torres to skip training while negotiations for his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain are underway, according to a source for ESPN.
Torres, age 26, was set to resume training on Wednesday after a three-week break following his decisive goal in the World Cup final for Spain.
However, Barcelona has informed him that he can remain away from the training facility while discussions progress with PSG, especially after they rejected an initial offer from the French club of approximately €40 million ($46.1 million).
The source indicated that Barcelona expects to finalize the deal soon, especially after PSG competes against Aston Villa in Wednesday’s European Super Cup, with a total transfer package anticipated to be around €55 million ($63.4 million).
Although Barça was open to extending Torres’ contract, which is set to expire next summer, they opted to negotiate with PSG after Torres expressed a desire to join the reigning European champions.
Torres, who arrived at Barcelona from Manchester City in 2022, is set to reunite with Luis Enrique at Parc des Princes, having previously played under him with the Spain national squad.
PSG is in search of a new striker following the summer departure of Gonçalo Ramos to AC Milan, while Randal Kolo Muani, who was on loan at Tottenham last season, has made a permanent move to Juventus.
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Ousmane Dembélé has been utilized in a central role, but Luis Enrique is eager to enhance his roster with more options before the upcoming season.
Initially starting his career as a winger, Torres has mainly played as a No. 9 over the past two seasons at Barcelona, scoring 21 goals in 49 appearances last year.
With Robert Lewandowski moving to the Chicago Fire this summer and Torres likely leaving, Barcelona will intensify their search for a new No. 9, eyeing Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez as their top candidate.