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Rather than bringing in a new striker to replace Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona may be on the verge of losing another center forward in Ferran Torres, with a potential transfer to Paris Saint-Germain reportedly gaining momentum.
The initial connections between Torres and PSG emerged during the 2026 World Cup, and discussions between the Parisians and Barcelona are now expected to occur in the first week of August, according to Marca. Several reports from Spain indicate that Torres is drawn to the prospect of joining the reigning Champions League winners, and reaching an agreement on personal terms is not expected to be a significant obstacle.
Contract extension talks between Torres and Barcelona have stalled, even after the forward netted the winning goal for Spain at the 2026 World Cup. Barça reportedly intend to wait until September before resuming negotiations over Torres's new deal, per Mundo Deportivo. Consequently, Torres reportedly feels he is not "a priority" at the club and would be receptive to continuing his career in Paris.
Torres would arrive at PSG as a replacement for Gonçalo Ramos, who departed for AC Milan earlier this summer. Additionally, after apparently missing out to Real Madrid in the race for Yan Diomande, Luis Enrique's squad has placed Torres at the top of their list of potential attacking targets.
Barcelona Can't Afford to Lose Ferran Torres
Barcelona are not actively looking to sell Torres; on the contrary, Hansi Flick spoke highly of the 26-year-old and made no secret of his wish for the attacker to remain at the club.
"I had contact [with Torres] during the World Cup," Flick said following Barcelona's preseason loss to Birmingham City. "But now they have holidays and I respect this. And of course he's a player from us and he's shown in many games last season how important he can be for us and this is what we want.
Only Lamine Yamal's 24 goals across all competitions last season surpassed the 21 Torres contributed. He netted 16 in La Liga, matching Yamal as the joint-highest scorer among Spanish players in the division. Moreover, his 49 appearances for Barcelona in 2025–26 were only exceeded by Eric García and Gerard Martín.
Torres has operated almost exclusively as a striker since Flick's arrival in 2024. Last season, he wrestled the starting position away from Lewandowski at pivotal moments, and following the Pole's exit, Torres was widely expected to remain a key figure heading into 2026–27.
He may not be the most prolific or clinical striker, but Torres is a highly capable attacker who contributes in numerous ways — through his movement, work rate, link-up play, and occasional hot streaks.
In the wake of Lewandowski's departure, Torres has never been more vital to Barcelona. Should the World Cup hero depart for PSG, Flick's side could find themselves in serious trouble.
Barcelona Flirting With Worst-Case Scenario at Striker
Securing a world-class striker was Barcelona's primary objective heading into the summer transfer window. So far, that goal remains unmet, and the prospect of fulfilling it appears increasingly remote with each passing day.
A dream deal for Julián Alvarez is completely deadlocked due to Atlético Madrid's firm refusal to even consider selling the Argentine to a direct competitor. At this point, Barcelona seem closer to facing a fine for their pursuit of Alvarez than to actually completing the signing.
Yet the push for Alvarez was already underway long before Torres's potential departure became a concern. If Barcelona lose both Torres and Lewandowski, the only natural center forward currently available to Flick would be 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim. As impressive as the young Egyptian has looked in preseason, he remains an unpolished prospect who has yet to make his official senior debut for Barça.
Barcelona would have under a month to find suitable replacements for both Lewandowski and Torres. The situation echoes the chaos that unfolded when Iñigo Martínez abruptly left the club in early August last year, and Barcelona's failure to sign a replacement for the experienced center back ultimately cost them in their most recent unsuccessful bid to win the Champions League.
The fact that Barcelona have already spent well over $100 million this summer on wingers Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi does not reflect well on the club when the striker position remains unresolved. While both Adeyemi and Gordon offer versatility and can play as a center forward, neither is a traditional No. 9 — both are more naturally suited to the flanks, where Barcelona already have Raphinha and Yamal.
If both Torres and Lewandowski depart and Barcelona fail to land an established striker, the most likely candidates to lead the attack next season would be Gordon, Adeyemi, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, or Fermín López — none of whom are natural center forwards.
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PSG's pursuit of Torres is still in its early stages, and there remains a reasonable chance he stays in Catalonia. However, when the summer began, having both Alvarez and Torres as Barcelona's primary striker options for 2026–27 seemed like a genuine possibility. Now, there is a real risk that Barça could be without both when the new season kicks off.
Should that scenario materialize, it would represent a damning reflection of Barcelona's mismanagement of the summer window, and could severely undermine their ability to mount a genuine challenge for the Champions League — the club's stated top priority for the season ahead.