Arsenal ‘register interest’ in £46m attacker as Mikel Arteta finds Bukayo Saka backup
Arsenal and Aston Villa reportedly express an interest in signing out-of-favour Barcelona forward Ferran Torres in the January transfer window.
Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres has apparently generated interest from two Premier League clubs ahead of the January transfer window.
The 24-year-old missed Saturday’s 4-0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid due to a hamstring injury, but he is not high up Hansi Flick‘s pecking order when fit either.
Torres is a versatile option up front, capable of doing a job out wide and in the centre-forward’s slot, but Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha are indispensable up front at the moment.
Torres has still made a respectable six starts in all competitions – totalling 10 appearances and coming up with one goal and two assists – but he may struggle for regular game time when he is back from his latest issue.
The Spain international – who joined the Catalans from Manchester City midway through the 2022-23 season – is still contracted to Barca until 2027, but according to Sporta January exit could be on the cards.
Arsenal, Aston Villa ‘battling’ for January Torres deal
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Aston Villa and Arsenal are both said to be interested in a winter deal for the ex-Manchester City man, with both Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery believing that he can slot into their systems.
Barcelona would apparently be prepared to let Torres leave the club permanently in January for an appropriate fee, even though the winger is keen to stay and prove his worth to head coach Flick.
However, Torres’s game time could diminish further if Barcelona are successful in their efforts to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao next year, and Flick supposedly only views him as a rotation player.
Barcelona paid £45.8m to bring the 24-year-old to the club from Man City midway through the 2021-22 season, and he boasts a total of 26 goals and 15 assists in 123 matches for the current La Liga leaders.
Prior to returning to his homeland, the former Valencia man came up with 16 goals and four assists in 43 games in a Man City shirt, although he did not join the Citizens until after Arteta had left for Arsenal.
Should Arsenal pursue Torres’s signature in January?
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Torres’s time in the Premier League ended incredibly prematurely, but the Spaniard showed flashes of what he is capable of in the English top flight and would surely relish the chance to work under Arteta.
Equally competent on both wings, Torres could be an incredibly useful backup option to Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, as the England international is short of genuine cover on that flank.
Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling have both filled in during his recent absence with a hamstring problem, although the latter was only given about half an hour in that role in the 2-0 loss at Bournemouth due to William Saliba‘s red card.
Furthermore, Jesus has lost his shooting boots entirely and has not been the same since his knee troubles, so Arsenal should not turn their noses up to a loan deal for Torres, but it may be best to wait until the summer before committing to a permanent move.
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