Ferran Torres to undergo Barcelona medical ahead of €55m transfer from Manchester City
Ferran Torres is set to undergo a medical at Barcelona ahead of his €55 million (£46m/$62m) transfer from Manchester City, GOAL can confirm.
Torres' 16-month stay at Eithad Stadium is drawing to a close, as GOAL revealed last week that City had reached an agreement with Barca over a permanent transfer.
The Spain international is ready to pen a long-term contract at Camp Nou after deciding to return to his homeland, where he initially began his career at Valencia.
What's the situation?
Torres will complete a medical at the Liga giants' training ground on Monday and, all being well, will officially be announced as a Barca player later in the day.
GOAL understands that the club have organised the 21-year-old's first press conference and unveiling to take place at their home ground on Tuesday.
Torres won't be eligible to play for Barca until the January transfer window opens, but could feature when they resume their domestic campaign against Mallorca.
Ferran Torres has been training in Valencia ahead of his move to Barcelona 💪pic.twitter.com/O8Og18rgLg
— GOAL (@goal) December 27, 2021
How can Barca afford Torres?
Barca posted record-breaking debts at the end of the last financial year and had to offload a number of senior players in the summer to lower their wage bill.
Club legend Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann departed, along with the likes of Junior Firpo and Emerson Royal, while the club had to scour the free-agent market in order to sign reinforcements.
Barca have managed to stay afloat thanks in part to a half a billion loan from investment bank Goldman Sachs, which has helped fund the move for Torres.
The club are still exceeding La Liga's wage restrictions at present, but Sergio Aguero's health-related retirement has helped reduce those arrears, and GOAL has confirmed that Torres will be on a reduced salary for the first few months of his Camp Nou career.