If Newcastle want to sign a Barcelona attacker that they’ve apparently had their eyes on for some while, they’ll need to get their skates on as Aston Villa look set to muscle in on any deal.
Unai Emery is, just like his counterpart Eddie Howe at the Magpies, doing sterling work on and off the pitch, and with both clubs in European competition next season, they’ll need strength in depth to ensure the 2023/24 campaign is a successful one.
Barcelona are also back in the Champions League though their problems are a little more acute.
At present, because of the rigorous rules around Financial Fair Play in Spain, it appears that if the Catalan club want to register new players they’re having to sell some of their current stars to do so.
The issue they’re finding is that no one wants to go, a similar problem to which they had a year or so ago.
What that means in practical terms is that the club are effectively being forced to keep players they no longer want but who are digging their heels in because of favourable contract terms.
One player the Spanish champions are trying to shift is exciting winger and former Man City star, Ferran Torres.
He too is perfectly happy according to Mundo Deportivo, who report that Villa will try and negotiate a deal which sees them take Torres on loan for a season with a €25m purchase option coming into play in 12 months time.
Fichajes have previously noted Newcastle’s interest in Torres, so if there’s any indication that the player is eventually willing to move back to the Premier League, we can expect a two-way battle at least for his services.
