Barcelona are yet to sign a new striker.
This is despite making the No 9 position a priority this summer after Robert Lewandowski left at the end of the season.
The Pole had a successful four years at Barcelona and it was always going to be difficult to replace him. But Barcelona have had a long time to do it, and they have spent most of that time wrangled in a saga over Julian Alvarez, whom Atletico Madrid have made crystal clear they don’t want to sell.
And now the club have sold Ferran Torres, who was at some point last season believed to be a worthy replacement for Lewandowski as centre-forward, even if as a temporary solution until the club can recruit a specialist. Torres started out as a winger.
Paris Saint-Germain have agreed a deal with Barcelona to sign Torres for a figure in the region of €50m. The Spain striker did not rejoin the Barcelona squad after scoring the goal that won the World Cup for his country. He was given permission to remain away while his move to PSG is completed.
The French club had a €40m offer rejected before Barcelona accepted the improved terms.
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Without knowing the exact mind of the decision makers at the club, there are a lot of different assumptions to make as to why Barcelona have sold Torres. The 26-year-old had one year left on his contract and Barcelona did not reach an agreement with him over an extension.
The club were understood to be unwilling to pay an €8m fee to City that they would be obliged to if they extended Torres’ contract. They also believed Torres indicated he wanted to leave.
Of course, if Barcelona really wanted to keep Torres none of these would be a barrier. It would seem they considered him surplus to requirements, a puzzling decision as his departure leaves Hansi Flick without either of the two senior strikers who scored 43 goals between them last season.
To be clear, the other striker was Lewandowski, and Torres outscored him having netted 21 times.
Barcelona had better replace the duo with the right people, or it could be the mistake of the season with Jose Mourinho eager to prove a point over at Real Madrid.
Olmo 🤝 Lamine pic.twitter.com/ZK3FLP9DPP
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 13, 2026
Is there any possibility of signing Alvarez?
Virtually nothing is impossible in football but this deal is about as close as it gets.
Barcelona have maintained that Alvarez is their preferred target but there is little confidence that Atletico will agree to his sale.
The club’s chief executive, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, said last month they would reject any offer for the Argentina international, even one worth €200m. Barcelona’s valuation is understood to be half that figure.
There is also no indication that they plan to raise it, even if they were to sell Torres for the €50m they want.
Alvarez returned to Atletico this week after the World Cup and is expected to speak with Diego Simeone about his future. Sources close to Barcelona’s first-team setup expect the striker to reiterate his desire to leave, having said during the World Cup that he wanted a move.
But that appears unlikely to change Atletico’s position.
