Can Barcelona afford to lose Ferran Torres, and who could they sign to replace him?

[infobox id="c5ce5f5a-ccb6-468f-9fce-bb4a330c372a" /][p]To date, Hansi Flick has added [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adeyemi-karim/GvIzwgo8/"]Karim Adeyemi[/a] to the first-team squad, whilst allowing captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/araujo-ronald/M3sbJix9/"]Ronald Araujo[/a] to leave on loan to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ter-stegen-marc-andre/byxc46yl/"]Marc ter Stegen[/a] to move on loan to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ajax/8UOvIwnb/"]Ajax[/a], and both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fati-ansu/dUPVnxzP/"]Ansu Fati[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/monaco/2PIvr8o4/"]Monaco[/a]) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pena-inaki/M1W3ZQSs/"]Inaki Pena[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panathinaikos/SENMmweG/"]Panathinaikos[/a]) to leave on permanent deals.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a]'s problems are in attack[/h2][p]There do appear to be other deals in the pipeline, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cancelo-joao/dAyeWYpm/"]Joao Cancelo[/a], making it clear via social media that he wants a return to the club, just one example of a move that could get over the line.[/p][p]However, it's in attack where Barcelona's problems could be brought into sharp focus.[/p][embed guid="262e1681-05a4-4f70-971f-95d5711fd283" url="https://x.com/FCBarcelona/status/2055606916944986580?lang=en" social-type="twitter" /][p]Although he'd been excellent during the period of his contract at the club, it wasn't a surprise that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lewandowski-robert/MVC8zHZD/"]Robert Lewandowski[/a] was allowed to leave at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.[/p][p]The Polish international, who will be 38 before the end of August, had lost a yard or two of pace, and that was evidently becoming an issue for Flick, who needed a bit more zip up front.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/torres-ferran/AVAVLaLt/"]Ferran Torres[/a] provided some more dynamic movement than his contemporary, though he wasn't perhaps as lethal in front of goal as he could be.[/p][p]Though 'The Shark' ended the 2025/26 season with 21 goals and three assists in 51 games in all competitions, there was always a feeling that he missed as many chances as he scored.[/p][p]He still had the best shot accuracy and conversion rate in the squad, though, 62.82% and 21.65% respectively, and maybe with that in mind, Ferran felt he deserved more opportunities to show what he could do.[/p][h2]Ferran Torres' stock has never been higher[/h2][embed guid="6df6ed23-a954-4ccc-a001-fa0dbbe4e9bf" url="https://x.com/FCBarcelona/status/2078959868740862352" social-type="twitter" /][p]After scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final against Argentina, his stock has already risen to the extent that European champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a] are closing in on a deal to take him to the French capital.[/p][p]It's understood that personal terms have already been agreed, suggesting that the Spaniard is ready to take the next step in his career.[/p][p]With only a year left on his current deal, unless Barcelona are willing to guarantee Ferran a starting spot and significant minutes, there seems little chance of them getting the player to agree to a new deal with them, and that puts the club in a very difficult spot indeed.[/p][embed guid="585853cb-6bf4-4074-9c33-c38667a9d3f1" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2086940637522202877" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atl-madrid/jaarqpLQ/"]Atletico Madrid[/a] remain adamant and steadfast in their desire to keep [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarez-julian/bBHauDIC/"]Julian Alvarez[/a] from Barca's clutches, and there has been little movement behind the scenes in this deal for some time.[/p][p]What that means in practice is that Flick faces starting the new league season without a recognised centre-forward, should Ferran make it clear he wishes to move and Atleti are equally as clear that Alvarez will either stay put or be sold to anyone other than Barca.[/p][p]For a club of Barcelona's size and stature, it's an incredibly embarrassing situation to find themselves in, and it again begs the question as to how much transfer business is actually being conducted by the board, and how much of what the media are reporting is smoke and mirrors.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-lautaro/QHk1CXUh/"]Lautaro[/a] could be Barca's saviour[/h2][p]The latest name to be linked to the club is Internazionale's Lautaro Martinez, someone who has long been admired by the Blaugranes' hierarchy and who continues to score goals.[/p][p]Last season, for example, the Argentinian plundered 24 in 45 games in all competitions and provided six assists.[/p][image alt="Lautaro Martinez's xG map - Serie A 2025/26" id="c43fc12a-c835-4f0d-8e5e-45375ee57546" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="41c94abe-31e8-4eb4-bd41-2b4480a2dd89" original-width="768" original-height="576" /][p]At 28 years of age, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter/Iw7eKK25/"]Nerazzurri[/a] captain is also in the prime of his career and arguably still has a number of years left at the top level.[/p][p]With 37 chances created and a pass completion rate that went as high as 85.15% during the season, there's certainly a discussion to be had as to just how well Lautaro could fit into Flick's squad.[/p][h2]Can Inter really contemplate losing their talisman?[/h2][image alt="Lautaro Martinez's career stats" id="5647af65-a825-4a02-a125-2fe5f13c7bf6" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e9d8d4cd-2413-4502-bc37-7dc7040450ae" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The overriding issue, of course, is how they prise the player from his current employers, given he still has a contract until 2029, and remains a vital part of everything they do.[/p][p]Having already lost [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumfries-denzel/QR0j1ejk/"]Denzel Dumfries[/a] from their defence and with rumours persisting about [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bastoni-alessandro/On4TkPTN/"]Alessandro Bastoni[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chivu-christian/YJcUe5Fn/"]Cristian Chivu[/a] can do without losing Martinez from the mix too, as this would clearly put Inter at a disadvantage ahead of the new campaign.[/p][p]Your move, Barca.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]