Barcelona announce Ferran Torres signing

Barcelona expect to present Ferran Torres at the Camp Nou next week

Barcelona officially announced the signing of former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres. The announcement was initially expected on Monday but was delayed due to bureaucratic issues.

Those issues have been resolved as Xavi Hernandez gets his man.

The Catalans signed Torres from City for €55 million with an additional €10 million in add-ons. The club and the player agreed to a five-year deal until 2027 and a €1 billion release clause.

City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain gave some few words on Torres’ departure.

"“Ferran should be proud of what he has achieved here at Manchester City.“Last season was his first time in a new country, but he adapted well. He always gave 100%, worked hard for the team and scored goals which helped us win trophies.“Injury unfortunately prevented him from playing more games this season, but Ferran is a player we have all enjoyed working with and we wish him all the best at Barcelona and for the rest of his career.”Source: Manchester City"

Torres is going to be an important part of Barcelona’s rebuild and is set to slot into the striker role once he recovers from his injury. He is not expected to be available until mid-January with the Super Cup against Real Madrid being a possible debut date.

Given the cost of the transfer, questions unsurprisingly arose as to how Barcelona came up with the money and whether or not he can even be registered with La Liga. According to ESPN, that should not be a problem once the window opens on Jan. 3.

He joined City from Valencia last season and adapted quickly under Pep Guardiola. A season-and-a-half later, he returns to Spain as he was more than intrigued at the opportunity of being a leader in what many hope to be a new look Barcelona.

With the addition of Torres, the impending returns in attack and the emergence of Abde, Xavi will finally have options to tinker with up front.