Barcelona have rejected Paris Saint-Germain's opening offer for 26-year-old Spanish midfielder Ferran Torres. The bid landed with the Catalan club's board on Monday, but they deemed the sum well short of the player's market value.
According to Catalan newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", the Parisians tabled 40 million euros with 10 million in add-ons. Barcelona turned it down flat, expecting a far larger figure to part with the international.
A personal agreement between the player and Paris
Torres has already agreed personal terms with PSG and wants to complete the move as soon as possible, and Barcelona know it. Even so, sources within the Catalan club insist they will not give the "final approval" until the financial offer meets their valuation of a player who starred in Spain's World Cup triumph and commands serious money on the European market.
Expected negotiations
This is how these deals tend to play out. The French club open below Barcelona's asking price, then push it up gradually to land their man before the summer window slams shut.
High market value
Barcelona rest their case on the form Torres showed for Spain at the last World Cup, his international experience and his age at 26. Those factors, they argue, lift his value well above what is currently on the table.
The next few days should bring fresh rounds of talks as both clubs chase a deal that suits everyone, with PSG hunting players of proven European pedigree before the new season begins.