Liverpool ready to hijack transfer for World Cup hero

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Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Liverpool are reportedly interested in hijacking Paris Saint-Germain’s proposed deal for Barcelona striker Ferran Torres following his winner for Spain in the World Cup final.

The 26-year-old scored the only goal of the game in extra-time to secure a 1-0 win for Spain over Argentina, and speculation surrounding his club future is expected to intensify following the conclusion of the tournament.

Torres has just two years remaining on his current contract at Barcelona and despite the departure of Robert Lewandowski on a Bosman deal, Hansi Flick’s side are reportedly willing to sell the Spain forward before the end of the summer window.

The Blaugrana have earmarked Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez as their priority target for this summer and they are open to offloading Torres in order to raise funds for their pursuit of the Argentina international.

Torres, who spent 18 months at Manchester City before joining Barcelona for €55 million in January 2022, has emerged as a key target for PSG in recent weeks and it has been widely reported that Luis Enrique is keen to sign his compatriot following the sale of Goncalo Ramos to AC Milan.

PSG are also in talks over deals for Maghnes Akliouche and Yan Diomande, but they have identified Torres as an ideal player to bolster their attacking ranks.

However, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign the 26-year-old and are ready to challenge for his signature, as per French outlet L’Equipe (via GFFN).

Analysis: Would Ferran Torres be a good signing for Liverpool?

Torres scored 21 goals in 49 games for Barcelona last season, despite often being used as a rotation option, and he proved his predatory instincts with his winner in the World Cup final.

The Spaniard is incredibly versatile and his ability to play across the forward line could be hugely valuable for Andoni Iraola during his debut season at Anfield.

However, Liverpool already have Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike as centre forward options and despite the latter’s serious Achilles injury, signing an out-and-out right winger to replace Mohamed Salah is far more necessary than adding a versatile attacker such as Torres.

That being said, Barcelona may be amenable to a sale for a relatively cheap price due to his contract situation, and if a deal can be struck for around his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €42.2m, the Spain star could be an excellent signing.