Barcelona’s topmost priority for the January window has been to land Manchester City striker, Ferran Torres and it has been no secret. However, the Spanish Giants’ financial crisis is forcing them to take some huge calls among which the departure of Ousmane Dembele as a part of the deal could prove to be a decisive one. This comes as per the Spanish outlet El Nacional.
The Catalans have struggled big-time this season, currently placed 7th on the La-Liga table with 27 points secured from 17 league fixtures. A disappointing 0-3 defeat to Bayern Munchen at the Allianz arena meant that Barcelona were knocked out from the group stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in two decades.
Xavi has reiterated that it is more of a psychological glitch than a technical one with the players showing enough potential to complete the rebuilding process of Barca.
The 41-year-old has been keen on reinforcing his attacking third with the absence of goal-scoring consistently. Barcelona have been linked to the likes of Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres, Edinson Cavani, Erling Haaland, and Dusan Vlahovic since the start of this season.
Raheem Sterling was on the verge of a potential La-Liga switch, but regaining form in the knack of time has turned the tide for the 28-year-old in City’s setup, with the former Liverpool man being named consistently in Guardiola’s starting XI.
Ferran Torres had an inspirational start to this season scoring twice and assisting once in a span of four matches before getting ruled out for three months owing to a metatarsal injury he suffered at the UEFA Nations League.
On the flip side, Ousmane has been struggling to get off the blocks as he hasn’t been able to find any sort of rhythm with injuries hampering his progress at crucial junctures. His stats of 28 goals and 17 assists in 122 appearances simply can’t justify the €150 million price tag which Barcelona paid for the French winger to Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
A Premier League switch could be a blessing in disguise for Dembele who has the potential to become the world’s best under Pep Guardiola if he does decide to leave the Blaugrana. Xavi however, is keen to keep a hold of the Frenchman and believes that he can play a major role in Barca’s rebuild.
So, will Ousmane Dembele be part of the Ferran Torres deal?
Let us know.