Barça is in no hurry to address Ferran's renewal
The forward, who has gone from being a meme to a hero for the goal in the World Cup final, has one year left on his contract and his future remains uncertain
BarcelonaWith only one year left on his contract, without a formal renewal offer, with PSG's interest in the background and doubts due to intermittent performance, Ferran Torres was included in the Spanish national team's squad for the 2026 World Cup. Except for the first game, in which he started against Cape Verde, he has been a substitute in the rest. He has always played, but he hadn't scored. And so it went until the final against Argentina. Football history is full of players who score decisive goals when they are not going through a good personal moment. Ferran is the latest example. The forward from Foios broke his bad streak with a goal in the first minute of the second half of extra time. The winning goal. A goal, his first of the tournament, which meant a "great release" after being "heavily criticized throughout the World Cup."}The winning goal. A goal, his first of the tournament, which meant a "great release" after being "heavily criticized throughout the World Cup".
The truth is that the criticism had some basis. At 26 years old, Ferran's World Cup was proving disappointing in terms of effectiveness. Having played in all three forward positions, no one denied his capacity for sacrifice, his effort in pressing, and his persistence in seeking, time and time again, a run or a shot. It's one thing to try. It's another to succeed. In the 283 minutes played in the tournament across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Ferran has had 14 shots, 13 from inside the box. That's a shot every 20 minutes. A good average if it weren't for the fact that only four have been on target (29%). According to FotMob data, he had an expected goals (xG) of 2.32. He only scored one goal. But what a goal!
His photograph and that of the Spanish players with the cup – with permission from Donald Trump, who also sneaked into some snapshots – monopolize the front pages this Monday, whether from sports newspapers or general information, local or international. "I believe destiny was written. Thank God he always gives me the strength to continue and, in the end, as I say, God gives things to those who deserve it most," he said, emotional, to the microphones of La 1 just after the final ended. From meme to hero. And the question: what will happen to his future?
When the celebrations in Madrid are over, Ferran will take a few days off and will not have to return to the Blaugrana discipline until mid-August. He is signed until 2027 and has not yet received any renewal proposal. It is a complex case because, according to the transfer contract signed with Manchester City in December 2021, the sky-blue club will collect a variable if Ferran renews with Barça. A clause signed by the then sporting director Mateu Alemany to reduce the cost of the operation – which cost 55 million. This explains why Barça has not yet proposed a renewal, since the only way to avoid this bonus would be to let the contract expire and, as a free agent, make a new contract. But this poses a risk that none of the parties – especially the player – are willing to assume. According to ARA's findings, Barça's intention is to wait until well into the season to address the renewal, so that, even if something has to be paid to Manchester, it will not have an impact on the entity's fair play.
Ferran, awaiting a PSG offer
The big doubt is whether Ferran will have patience or not, and for this reason a meeting with his agents is planned in the coming days, not to talk about the renewal but to know the player's intentions. During the World Cup, it has transpired that the striker from Foios has received a proposal from Luis Enrique's PSG which, in principle, would mean a very significant favorable economic leap for him. For the moment, no one from the French club has contacted the blaugrana team to negotiate a possible transfer, which is why this possibility is not being considered in the short term. But the sporting leadership does not rule out any scenario, even though at the moment – especially if a reliable replacement for Lewandowski cannot be signed – the thesis that it is better not to let go of the Shark prevails.
The player's willingness must also be taken into account, as he is not a starter and, depending on how the transfer market progresses, he could maintain this role of a substitute at Barça. Or a third option, which would be to be part of an exchange with another club. In any case, the decisive goal in the World Cup weighs heavily, and if Barça sells him, it will be for a significant sum. Although it should also be taken into account that in the contract with City, a clause was also included so that the English would collect the first 10 million euros of any transfer that exceeded the 55 that they paid for the player. If he ends up leaving, perhaps Barça will make a profit, but the sky-blue team will too.