Surprise Premier League club to make bid for Barcelona star this summer: Reports
Aston Villa are reportedly interested in launching a move for Barcelona star Ferran Torres this summer.
Torres, 23, has struggled to shine at the Blaugrana since arriving from Manchester City for £49 million in January 2022. He has started just 17 out of his 41 appearances this campaign, scoring a meagre seven goals in the process.
According to Football Insider, Barcelona have placed Torres on the market as they are keen to thin their squad to balance their financial books ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 season. As a result, the Villans have expressed an interest.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is a big admirer of the Valencia youth product and is keen to make the most of his situation at Camp Nou. The top brass at Villa Park are also eager to make funds available for the potential deal.
Torres, who has a contract until June 2027 at Camp Nou, could emerge as a first-team starter should he seal a permanent move to the Villans. Apart from featuring on the left flank, he can also operate as a centre-forward.
Apart from his positional versatility, the Spaniard's prior experience in the Premier League could also prove to be beneficial for Villa. He registered 16 goals and four assists in 43 games for his former club Manchester City between 2020 and 2022.
So far, the 35-cap Spain attacker has netted 14 goals and laid out eight assists in 67 games for the Blaugrana.
Barcelona willing to part ways with 26-year-old star: Reports
According to SPORT, Barcelona are prepared to sell Franck Kessie ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 season. With Ilkay Gundogan and Sofyan Amrabat linked with the Blaugrana, the Ivorian's future is considered to be up in the air.
Tottenham Hotspur have inquired about Kessie's availability, while Inter Milan have also expressed a transfer interest in signing the 2021-22 Serie A winner. Barcelona are willing to sell him for a transfer fee in excess of £22 million.
With Inter struggling to balance their books of late, Barcelona are instead pushing for a Premier League move for Kessie. Tottenham are financially stable and could also meet both the tenacious midfielder and the club's demands.
Kessie, 26, has failed to cement a first-team place at the Camp Nou since arriving on a free transfer from AC Milan last summer. He has started 14 of his 39 matches this season, racking up just 1599 minutes of first-team action.