Torres, 26, is under contract at Camp Nou until the summer of 2027, and Paris Saint-Germain have positioned themselves strongly in the race for his signature, reportedly at the request of head coach Luis Enrique as he looks to add further quality to the European champions. Barcelona, however, are said to have a clear roadmap for the player and are working to secure his long-term future at the club instead.
"Barça continue to count on him as an important asset and want to renew his contract, despite the €8 million that would need to be paid to Manchester City, as stipulated in the January 2022 transfer. The plan of the Barcelona hierarchy is to do so in September, once the summer transfer window has closed, for Financial Fair Play reasons," Mundo Deportivo reported.
The clause dates back to Torres's original €55 million move from City, and would require Barcelona to make an immediate payment to the Premier League club should they extend his contract before it expires.
Delaying any renewal until September would allow the Catalan club to register the deal without it affecting their Financial Fair Play calculations during the current transfer window, even though doing so leaves Torres exposed to interest from elsewhere in the meantime.
Torres scored 21 goals and provided three assists in 49 appearances for Barcelona last season, and his form for both club and country means Barcelona are determined to avoid losing him for a reduced fee or for nothing once his contract nears its expiry, even as PSG continue to monitor the situation closely.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta played down the speculation when asked about PSG's interest during the World Cup, saying only: "I've heard something about that, but we're not aware of anything. He's a Barça player."
The club's reluctance to begin formal renewal talks before September owes as much to the Manchester City clause as to Robert Lewandowski's departure to Chicago Fire, which has left Barcelona without their established number nine and made Torres's continued presence increasingly important regardless of the financial complications involved.