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Barcelona forward Ferran Torres turned down an offer from a Premier League club in January, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has reported.
Spain international Torres joined Barcelona in a €55 million move from Manchester City in January last year. The versatile forward scored four times and claimed four assists in 18 games last season to help the Blaugrana to a second-place finish in La Liga.
The 22-year-old has found it difficult to maintain his impressive run of form this season. Due to his poor showings, Ousmane Dembele’s stellar form, and the introduction of Raphinha, Torres has struggled to get regular minutes under his belt in the 2022-23 season.
According to the aforementioned report, a Premier League club gave Torres a way out in January, tabling an offer for him. Despite his struggles at Camp Nou, Torres rejected the opportunity to move back to England. It has been claimed that the former Manchester City man remains determined to prove his mettle at Barcelona and become a key member under Xavi.
With Dembele out with a hamstring injury, Torres is expected to get more minutes to leave his mark. It will be interesting to see if he manages to make the most of the opportunity.
Torres has featured in 25 games for the Blaugrana in the 2022-23 season, scoring five goals and claiming an assist across competitions.
Barcelona Atletic coach Rafa Marquez is pleasantly surprised by Andreas Christensen
Andreas Christensen left Chelsea as a free agent last summer, shortly before joining Barca. The Danish center-back got some flak early in the season but has emphatically turned his fortunes around, emerging as one of Xavi’s key players.
Barcelona Atletic coach Rafa Marquez has admitted to being pleasantly surprised by Christensen.
Analyzing Barca’s defensive performance this season, he said (via Barca TV):
“At the back, we are seeing more of Araujo and Christensen in the central axis. Perhaps the defender who has surprised me the most is Christensen, who is having a great performance and has adapted quickly.
“There is no doubt about how important Araujo is and the player he is becoming. On the right, Koundé is doing very well, defensively he is very safe and the offense surprises us at times. And on the left, whether Alba or Balde plays, they have a very complete defense.”
Barcelona, who currently have an eight-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table, have conceded only seven goals this season. No team in the Spanish top flight has conceded fewer.
