Arsenal 'interested' in signing World Cup star in repeat of Vinicius Jr plan
Torres, 26, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final last month, has less than 12 months left on his contract at Camp Nou and there is talk he could move on before the September 1 deadline.
Should he leave Barca, Arsenal are considered as the 'frontrunners' to secure Torres' signature, according to reports in Spain, amid competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham. It's added that the Gunners have approached the Catalan club to see if the former Manchester City man would be available for a transfer.
PSG have started formal talks and are seeking a 'top signing' after losing out on Yan Diomande to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Arsenal have been 'monitoring' the situation for 'months' and Mikel Arteta is keen to bring Torres, who is valued at around £40million by Barcelona, to Emirates Stadium.
Torres is expected to return to pre-season at Barca in mid-August after enjoying a holiday following the World Cup. The Valencian netted a dramatic 106th-minute winner to help Spain win the tournament for the second time, as Luis de la Fuente's side edged out Argentina 1-0 in New Jersey on July 19.
It marked Torres' 25th goal for the Spain national team and his 116th strike in 424 career appearances. 43 of those matches came during his time at City, with Torres spending 16 months at the Etihad Stadium, winning a Premier League title and the Carabao Cup, before moving to Barca in December 2021.
Arsenal are desperate to add more firepower to their front line before the start of the new Premier League season and this week Vinicius Jr, alongside Torres, has emerged as a top target for the Gunners. Both have only one season left on their respective contracts after this summer.
It's believed that Arteta's side are 'pushing hard' to bring Vinicius Jr to north London, though Real Madrid are confident on agreeing a new contract for the Brazilian, whose current deal expires next summer.
The Gunners could therefore strike a cut-price deal for both Torres and Vinicius Jr with both players entering the final 12 months of their respective contracts.