Chelsea eye surprise move for Barcelona star to bolster attack - Reports

Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for Barcelona forward Ferran Torres to further strengthen their attacking options. The Premier League giants are currently in talks with Barcelona, and while no formal offer has been made yet, there are discussions about a potential loan deal with an option to buy, according to Todo Fichajes.

Torres already has Premier League experience from his time at Manchester City, who signed for €23 million in 2020 from Valencia. After just one and a half seasons with the club, he moved to Barcelona for €55 million.

Since joining the Catalan club, Torres has struggled to replicate his form, scoring only 25 goals in 113 appearances for the club. However, his international record is impressive, with 20 goals in 46 appearances for Spain, including a goal in Euro 2024, which Spain went on to win.

Chelsea, meanwhile, already have strong depth in the wide areas but they could be on the lookout for wingers due to the inconsistent form of Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, and Noni Madueke. Adding the 24-year-old to their ranks could provide them with a player who is capable of operating on both flanks and as a central striker.

While manager Enzo Maresca has not directly coached Torres, they have worked together at Manchester City when Maresca was involved with the club’s youth team in 2020.

If the move goes through, it could benefit both parties - Torres could be a potential starter, and Chelsea would gain a valuable goal-scoring threat from wide areas.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca offers update on Conor Gallagher situation

There have been several reports emerging from Chelsea suggesting that Conor Gallagher could be on his way out of the club. According to The Sun, the England international was reportedly excluded from training and informed that he is unlikely to play a key role under Enzo Maresca.

Gallagher has rejected two contract extension offers from the club, and with only one year remaining on his contract, Chelsea are considering selling him, with Atlético Madrid showing interest in his services.

However, the situation remains unclear, as Chelsea boss Maresca has neither confirmed nor denied the reports of Gallagher being sidelined from training.

During Chelsea’s pre-season tour in the USA, the Italian coach stated (via Metro)

"At the moment, there is not any update on that. The only thing I can say is that he was in contact with the club to find a solution. I don’t think it’s something new. In football, every summer, different clubs have some problems with some players, and then at the end, they find a solution and everyone is happy. Hopefully the same can happen in this situation."

After winning their recent friendly against Club America, Chelsea will next face Premier League champions Manchester City on August 3. They will conclude their pre-season with matches against Real Madrid on August 6 and Inter Milan on August 11.