Ferran Torres future in doubt as Barcelona have reportedly set two main goals for striker spot

Barcelona’s hierarchy have drawn a clear roadmap for next season’s attack, and it no longer features Ferran Torres as a central piece. After a campaign in which the 25-year-old began as Hansi Flick’s first-choice No. 9—pocketing 13 goals before the turn of the year—his sharp dip in form has convinced club chiefs to prioritise two objectives that would push the Spaniard to the periphery: extending Robert Lewandowski’s stay and luring Julián Álvarez away from Atlético Madrid.

Catalan radio outlet Què T’hi Jugues reports that Lewandowski’s expected renewal would come with a reduced on-field role, capitalising on his leadership and big-match pedigree while easing the goal-scoring burden onto a younger successor. That successor, in Barça’s ideal scenario, is Álvarez. Atlético value the Argentine at roughly €150 million, a fee that would obligate the Blaugrana to explore creative financing; Torres has emerged as a makeweight in negotiations, with La Ser adding that his inclusion could significantly lower the cash outlay.

Torres’ slide mirrors Barcelona’s wider frustrations. Since January 2026 he has managed just three goals, losing his starting berth to Lewandowski and, on occasion, to teenage prodigy Víctor Barberá. Coaches inside the Ciutat Esportiva believe the Valencia academy graduate is better suited to impact duty off the bench, where his intelligent runs and pressing energy can trouble tiring defences, but they question whether he can deliver week-in, week-out when points, or progression in Europe, are on the line.

Selling Torres would serve a dual purpose: trimming a wage bill still under La Liga scrutiny and generating liquidity for Álvarez, a player technical secretary Deco views as tailor-made for Flick’s vertical style. Inter have already enquired about a separate deal involving defender Alessandro Bastoni, a development that could yet free further resources should Barcelona decide to sacrifice multiple assets this summer.

Lewandowski’s own future looked precarious midway through the season amid injuries and a barren spell, yet his experience and link-up play have become indispensable to a squad brimming with youth. If the Pole signs an extension, Barberá or fellow academy graduate Óscar Gistau would be groomed as deputies, leaving Torres as the expendable party.

The forward’s absence from Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad, together with Lamine Yamal’s, underlined how quickly circumstances can shift; Flick’s side surrendered their seven-match winning streak and now travel to Slavia Praha on Wednesday needing a response to stay atop their Champions League group. Whether Torres is still wearing blaugrana by the time the knockout phase rolls around is increasingly uncertain.

Barcelona’s pursuit of Álvarez is expected to intensify once the market opens, with Torres potentially used as a bargaining chip in what could become one of the summer’s most protracted transfer sagas. For a player once billed as the long-term heir to the club’s attacking throne, the next few weeks may determine whether his future lies in Catalonia—or elsewhere entirely.