Barcelona are open to selling Ferran Torres this summer because extending his contract would force them to make a payment of around €8million (£6.8m; $9.1m) to Manchester City.Torres’ deal at the Camp Nou expires in June 2027, and no renewal has been agreed.The 26-year-old Spain forward was signed on a five-year deal from City in January 2022 for an initial €55million plus a further €10m in add-ons, which have been achieved.Owing to a clause in that deal, Barca would have to pay the Premier League club a fee in the region of €7-8million if he were to extend. That would take the total fee to around €73m.Sources familiar with the situation — speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment publicly, like several others consulted for this article — said Barca’s sporting director Deco was reluctant to offer Torres a contract extension because of that.Senior Barca sources said the club is open to selling him, avoiding the possibility of Torres leaving as a free agent at the end of 2026-27.Last week, reports in the Spanish media said Torres has been in talks with French club Paris Saint-Germain over a potential move. Barca sources said no bid has been made.Barca sources also said there may be potential interest from Atletico Madrid, whose current sporting director Mateu Alemany was in the same role at Barca when Torres was signed. However, a senior source at Atletico denied the club were considering a move for him.If Torres were to leave, Barcelona would be without the two central strikers manager Hansi Flick favoured most last season — following Robert Lewandowski’s departure on the expiry of his contract. The Poland captain, who turns 38 in August, has since joined Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire.Moves have already been made to strengthen Barca’s forward line, but Atletico’s Julian Alvarez remains their top target for the No 9 spot. The Argentina international, 26, has spoken of his desire to join Barca, but Atletico have shown no signs of wanting to sell, at least publicly.Barca signed 25-year-old England winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle in an €80m deal in late May (including potential add-ons). They have also agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund for Karim Adeyemi, worth an initial €22m plus add-ons. The German 24-year-old is a forward who usually operates in wide areas.Sources at Barca say nothing on Torres has been absolutely decided, and that he could also end up staying at the club.That position was reflected by sources close to the player. They said all scenarios remained open, including Torres extending, and that a resolution should be expected after the World Cup.Additional reporting by Guillermo RaiA difficult situation for BarcaAnalysisIf Torres had played absolutely brilliantly last season, Barca would surely have not had a second thought about renewing his contract.Torres actually started the 2025-26 campaign — during which Barca defended their La Liga and Supercopa de Espana titles, also reaching the Champions League quarter-finals — as their starting striker, ahead of Lewandowski.However, he slowly lost that place and endured a tough run of form between late January and mid-April, going 14 games without scoring.In total, he scored 21 goals from 49 appearances, also making three assists.The fact Barca have not already extended his contract makes it clear that they do not see him as the best option to lead the line next term.In a way, it puts them in a difficult situation here. Torres would have more negotiating power if talks do end up taking place over a renewal. If he stays, he could leave without a fee next year.If he were to be sold, that might see the club face more pressure in talks with clubs as they continue their search for a No 9, with Atletico already taking a tough public stance over their interest in Alvarez.Either way, it’s not an ideal situation for Barcelona, as their summer rebuild continues.Jul 13, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms