Xavi convinced Pablo Torre to snub Real Madrid for Barcelona citing two flops

Pablo Torre grabbed attention in Camp Nou yesterday after being officiated as a Barcelona player since reaching an agreement back in March.

Roping him in from Racing Club was quite the coup for Barcelona, as the midfielder was one of the most gifted young footballers in Spain at the time.

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Torre was even close to joining Barcelona’s arch-rivals Real Madrid. But a call from Barça head coach Xavi Hernandez changed his complete outlook, ultimately convincing him to move to Camp Nou.

Xavi had learned of Torre’s prospects of joining Madrid through his agents and had requested a call with him and his father.

During the call, the Barcelona head coach was frank with the youngster and analysed his style of play to the very detail. The player himself was amused by the knowledge Xavi had over his gameplay.

The Spanish tactician explained how Torre, standing at only 1.73m, is a technically gifted midfielder, who is good with the ball and is able to spread the play thanks to his solid range of passing.

He is capable of operating as the anchorman in the final third, but due to his lack of physique, the youngster is extremely reliant on his technical ability and movement. As such, Xavi argued he is more suited to Barcelona’s style of play rather than Real Madrid’s.

The Spaniard cited players Dani Ceballos and Isco as ideal examples of technically gifted midfielders that moved to Real Madrid but failed to establish themselves as first-team regulars.

The detailed description of his gameplay put out by Xavi, coupled with the tactical incompatibility with Real Madrid which he explained to the player, was enough to convince Pablo Torre to snub the capital club, in favour of a move to Camp Nou.

The youngster subsequently signed a deal until 2026, with Xavi now reportedly looking to operate him an interior midfielder in the coming season.