Ferran Torres has been linked with a move to Liverpool following his match-winning goal in the World Cup final, but there appears to be little substance to the speculation.
The Barcelona forward came off the bench to score the only goal as Spain beat Argentina on Sunday, capping a memorable night with his first goal of the tournament.
With just one year remaining on his contract, the 26-year-old’s future has become a major talking point.
Paris Saint-Germain are widely regarded as the leading contenders for his signature, but reports this week also claimed Liverpool were interested.
Those rumours stemmed from comments attributed to L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi, who was said to have revealed the Reds had entered the race.
However, the claims were misleading. Tanzi did not report Liverpool’s interest, instead using the club as an example of the kind of bidding war that could develop after Torres’ World Cup-winning heroics.
Speaking on radio station Ici Paris Ile-de-France, Tanzi said: “Before the World Cup, I think he (Ferran Torres) was someone you could negotiate for – if you played it right – between €10 million and €20million without it being considered too expensive.
“It depends on the clubs. If you’re the only one after the player, negotiating is pretty easy. If the player doesn’t want to extend his contract, things go smoothly.
“But in this case, if Barca wants to extend him and two or three other clubs step in, well, you could end up paying three times as much. It’s all about supply and demand in the market.
“So, a player’s price is always a complicated matter. If Liverpool comes along tomorrow wanting to pull a ‘Torres’ move, you’re not going to pay the same price you would have a week earlier.”
While Torres’ contract situation and versatility could make him an attractive option for Liverpool, there is currently no indication the club are preparing a move.
The Reds did hold genuine interest in the Spain international during his time at Valencia in 2020, and he is likely to remain on their recruitment radar.
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