Ferran Torres Missing Training as PSG Move Advances
Ferran Torres was missing from FC Barcelona training for the second morning in a row on Thursday – and this time, there is no mystery. The club has kept in place the permission granted to the 26-year-old forward, who was supposed to rejoin Hansi Flick’s sessions on Wednesday but is instead putting the final touches on a move to PSG with Barça’s blessing.
The deal is no longer a rumour on the fringes of pre-season. Multiple well-placed reports point in the same direction: Ferran is on the brink of becoming a Paris Saint-Germain player.
€55 million on the table
Barcelona and the French champions are locked in the last stretch of negotiations, working on a total package of around €55 million, including add-ons. The structure is being polished, not the principle. Both clubs know where this is heading.
On the player’s side, everything is already aligned. Ferran has an agreement in place with PSG, where Luis Enrique has drawn up a clear plan for how to slot the Spain international into his squad. With that roadmap agreed, there is little sense in risking injury or distraction on the training pitch in Barcelona.
So Ferran stays away from group work for a second straight day, waiting for the final signatures and formalities to catch up with the reality of his impending departure.
World Cup winners back in the fold
While one Spain star edges towards the exit, others are stepping back into the spotlight at the Ciutat Esportiva.
Of the four World Cup-winning players who reported back on Wednesday and initially worked on tailored programmes, three – Pau Cubarsi, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal – rejoined the main group at the start of Thursday’s session. Their return adds immediate quality and intensity to Flick’s drills as pre-season planning sharpens.
Pedri remains on a different track. The midfielder continued his work in the gym and did not appear on the pitch, sticking to a more cautious schedule as the staff manage his workload.
Six in limbo as Barça trims the squad
Further down the hierarchy, the atmosphere is very different. Marc Casado, Hector Fort, Jofre Torrents, Tommy Marques, Guille Fernandez and Toni Fernandez are all training away from the main group while their futures are thrashed out.
For now, they live in a holding pattern – fit, available, but not truly involved. Barcelona are intent on slimming down the squad and finding exits for players who do not feature in Flick’s plans, and this group sits squarely in that category. Until solutions emerge, they work on the fringes.
Youth hopefuls stay under Flick’s eye
Not every youngster is being pushed towards the door. A separate batch of reserve-team and academy players continues to operate under Flick’s direct orders, clinging to a valuable audition in front of the new coach.
Aron Yaakobishvili is among them, even as he edges closer to a move to Almeria. Alongside him, Alvaro Cortes, Xavi Espart, Jordi Pesquer, Ebrima Tunkara, Orian Goren, Brian Farinas and forward Hamza Abdelkarim all remain embedded with the first team.
They run, press, and compete while Barcelona piece together the final version of their pre-season squad. One established forward is on his way to Paris. The question now is which of these names will still be standing when Flick’s first competitive line-up is finally revealed.
