Barcelona reject first offer! PSG bidding war for Spanish World Cup hero enters decisive phase

Barcelona have rejected a 40 million euro bid from Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain for striker Torres, the Spanish champions told AFP on Monday.

Talks between Barça and PSG are still going on, however, according to a source at the Catalan club. Torres has already approved a move to Paris, according to several Spanish media outlets. "I have a contract with Barcelona, but in football you never know," said the 26-year-old during pre-season in the USA.

In mid-July, Torres fired Spain to their second World Cup title against Argentina with an extra-time winner in the final. He has been at Barcelona since a 55-million-euro move in 2021 and has scored 40 goals in 94 competitive appearances over the past two seasons. Under coach Hansi Flick, Torres was regularly used as cover for Robert Lewandowski.

Following the Polish striker's move to Chicago Fire and the exit of Marcus Rashford, who returned to Manchester United after his loan spell, Barcelona are reshaping their attack. A deal for Argentina star striker Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid) has yet to materialise, but Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund) and Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) have already arrived.