Newcastle United have submitted a bid to sign Barcelona winger Ferran Torres, according to reports.
Eddie Howe will be under serious pressure to deliver next season after missing out on European qualification in 2023/24. The Magpies’ Champions League nights against the likes of Dortmund, AC Milan and PSG will live long in the memory but supporters will simply not accept it being a one-off.
But given the fiercely competitive nature of the Premier League, Newcastle will most likely need to invest in key areas to keep up with the competition, especially given they were eight points off the pace in the race for the top four.
According to Spanish outlet Jijantes, Newcastle have submitted an offer of €15m plus €5m in add-ons for Torres, which would be a huge step down from the reported £46.7m Barca paid Man City up-front for his services back in 2021.
The Pep seal of approval?
Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards has poured cold water on the rumour, posting on X that there is “no truth in the claims Newcastle have made a bid for Ferran Torres”.
However, Newcastle fans will be hoping Edwards is off the mark.
For starters, Torres posted a respectable 10 goals and three assists in 37 combined La Liga and Champions League appearances last season, despite just 15 of those outings coming from the start.
The 24-year-old also boasts an excellent national team record, with 19 goals and four assists in 41 senior caps for Spain, including scoring six goals across World Cup, European Championships and Uefa Nations League finals combined.
And let’s not forget that this is a player Pep Guardiola once labelled as ‘exceptional’ during their time together at Manchester City.
