Barcelona have completed their first trade in the January transfer window, with Ferran Torres moving from Manchester City. The initial joining fee is €55 million, but if certain terms are met, additional terms in the contract are triggered. Torres only joined Manchester City from Valencia in 2020, but he decided to seek a new path as his chances at the Etihad Stadium are limited. He has scored 16 goals in all competitions at Manchester, and his performances in the Spanish national team have also attracted attention. The Spaniard has signed a five-year contract at Camp Nou, which also includes a €1 billion termination clause. Despite the club's financial difficulties and the consequent loss of Messi in the summer, Barcelona were still able to fund Torres' transfer, but it was not the only deal they hoped to reach.
Cavani, Azpilicueta and Christensen are all seen as potential options, although all three will expire in the summer and therefore will not cost the La Liga giants any transfer fees. According to Spanish media reports, Barcelona have set their sights on the trio as Xavi wants to execute his own football blueprint in the squad. While doing so, he is reportedly keen to dump some of the fringe players in the team in order to pay for the arrival of the aforementioned players.
Cavani
While Ferran Torres is an exciting young talent, he hasn't played a meaningful game at the club for a few minutes since leaving Valencia, so it's unclear how he will perform in his return to La Liga. In addition, despite his impressive goal scoring rate in Spain and a good record at Manchester City, the sample size is small, scoring just four goals in his last La Liga season for Valencia in 28 league starts. In addition, Torres scored league goals against Manchester City: Burnley, Newcastle, Leeds, Crystal Palace and Arsenal. All of these teams are hovering in the middle and lower reaches of the Premier League – with the exception of Arsenal, but it's not a high-level team, the Gunners suffered a 5-0 defeat in that game, so it's hard to quantify how impressive that goal really was. So, he can't guarantee enough goal stats right now, especially in strong conversations, and he's not a full-fledged No. 9 player either. His position at Manchester City has always been oscillating in the middle and on the flanks, so it's not yet known where he feels more comfortable and in which position he performs better. Cavani will provide a goal threat directly through the centre position, fill the team's void and bring a lot of experience to the younger teams. And the deal is free.
Azpilicueta
Over the past 18 months, Barcelona has become increasingly Spanish, and Azpilicueta will be joining in. He is no longer Chelsea's main force and he has seen the young Charloba take his place. Although his appearances have dropped this season, he is still a gifted player, and since Destin does not believe in Harvey, he could be a good stopgap measure before a better player arrives. He can also provide cover for centre-backs, which is a good option.
Christensen
This is probably the best deal. Christensen has played a huge role for Chelsea since Tuchel took charge of Stamford Bridge, but the state of his contract has made a mess. As the Denmark international has yet to sign a new contract, he has been relegated to the bench more often, while Tuchel has prioritized those who want to stay at the club. However, it would have been an easy loss for Chelsea to lose him, which would have been a huge loss. Christensen maintained an incredible 33 clean sheets for club and national teams in 2021 and is a key part of almost every game. His composure in possession will be in line with Harvey's coaching style and he will be a full-blown upgrade for Eric Garcia. Another name Barca are targeting in the centre-back position is Lazio's Luis Felipe, but the 24-year-old has also attracted real Betis' interest.