West Ham are keen to sign Barcelona winger Ferran Torres in the summer transfer window, as signing a striker has become a “priority” for Julen Lopetegui, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The Spanish newspaper reported online on 17 June that the Hammers insist on completing a deal for Torres who is currently with the Spanish national side for the Euro 2024 Championships.
Sunday Express (page 66) reported on 16 June that a host of Premier League clubs, such as Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Aston Villa, are vying for his signature along with the Hammers. He would cost in the region of £30 million.
Torres has a contract at Barcelona until 2027 and is not interested in moving anywhere. His agent has also made it clear that they will not listen to any offers for the player who is not willing to give up the chance to play under Hansi Flick.
Barcelona are happy to keep him at the moment, but they would be open to selling him if a good offer is made.
West Ham need to submit tempting offer to sign Ferran Torres
The Hammers need to bolster their forward department this summer and Torres would be a fabulous signing, although he is not a proper number nine.
West Ham have already signed Brazilian teen sensation Luis Guilherme this summer, and they are looking to add more quality players in that department.
Michail Antonio is approaching the fag end of his career and has been linked with a move to MLS. Danny Ings, who joined from Aston Villa, failed to recapture his best form under David Moyes and could be offloaded as well.
Maxwel Cornet, another big-money recruit, has proved to be a massive flop. Torres is a regular for Barcelona and Spain, but he didn’t live up to expectations during his time at Manchester City.
In any case, it looks like it would require a lot of convincing to lure him away from Camp Nou in the summer. Most importantly, the Hammers need to submit a really tempting offer to Barcelona to allow him to move on.
