Barcelona close the doors on forward’s departure after strong start to pre-season

The imminent sale of Ousmane Dembele to Paris Saint-Germain is set to bring forth a myriad of changes to the Barcelona team ahead of the new season.

The Catalans are already working on the possibility of bringing in a top-quality attacker to replace the Frenchman at Camp Nou next season.

In addition, Barcelona could end up keeping hold of Ferran Torres, according to a recent report from SPORT.

Ferran Torres has enjoyed a positive pre-season

Ferran Torres has been seen as out-of-favour in the Barcelona squad for a while now and was identified as one of the disposable first-team stars this summer, with club being open to his exit.

But it appears the club have made a U-turn on their stance on Torres. The report from SPORT suggests Dembele’s sale to PSG could be a key factor.

In addition, the former Manchester City star has enjoyed a positive start to the pre-season campaign. He notably scored a goal in Barcelona’s recent 3-0 win over Real Madrid, following up on his strike against Arsenal.

Torres’ performances in pre-season have convinced Xavi, who is willing to keep hold of the attacker’s services for next season.

What does the future hold for Torres?

If the Dembele transfer goes through, Ferran Torres could end up enjoying another chance to prove himself at Camp Nou.

The 23-year-old has always maintained that he prefers playing on the right flank and Dembele’s exit could open the door for him.

Plus with him exhibiting good form in pre-season, Xavi could benefit from having him in the squad.

With Vitor Roque not joining the team this summer, Ferran’s ability to operate in a central role could be useful for Xavi as well.

The former Man City forward can effectively act as an alternative for Robert Lewandowski before Roque eventually joins the team.