Arsenal, Aston Villa hopes dashed as Barcelona attacker says he ‘doesn’t care’ about PL interest
Barcelona winger Ferran Torres has insisted he ‘doesn’t care’ about recent reports linking him with a move to Arsenal or Aston Villa.
The Spain international left Manchester City for the Catalans in January 2021 and he has struggled to tie down a consistent spot in the starting XI.
Torres has made 71 appearances for Barcelona overall, scoring 14 goals and making nine assists. Most of these appearances have come from the bench, though, and despite him having four years remaining on his contract, his long-term future remains in doubt.
The LaLiga champions are expected to sell several players as they look to fund their own transfer business this summer. Reports have suggested that Barcelona would be willing to accept an offer of €35m for Torres.
Arsenal and Aston Villa are considered to be the two Premier League clubs with the most concrete interest in the attacker.
Nevertheless, it seems Torres will be staying at Barcelona for at least another season, as he is determined to fight for his place at the Camp Nou.
The former Cityzen was asked about his future after Arsenal’s 5-3 win over the Blaugrana in California on Wednesday, with Torres scoring Barcelona’s third goal.
When asked about the rumours post-game, Torres said: “The names on Barca transfer list are placed by the journalists.
“I have a contract here, I’m going to stay. I don’t care what is said about me. I’m going to work like anyone else. I am the first self-critic, it was not a good season last year but I learned a lot. These ups and downs have helped me to be stronger now.”
Arsenal have already brought in Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz this summer. Now, they are expected to focus on selling players before sanctioning any more major incomings. In fact, Mikel Arteta recently described a his current 30-man squad as ‘unsustainable.’
With that in mind, it seems unlikely Arsenal will make a concrete offer for Torres anyway, despite their interest.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, seemed the more likely club to make a move for the winger. Sporting Director Monchi has been pushing for Barcelona duo Torres and Franck Kessie since his arrival at the club in June.
Now that they have signed Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for £51.9m, however, it seems unlikely that they will pay big money for another winger this summer.
As a result, everything points towards Torres remaining at Barcelona. Unless, of course, the Catalans try and force him out as part of their summer fire sale.
