Ferran Torres is reading little into reports suggesting that Manchester City could allow him to join Barcelona on loan in January, with the Spain international pointing out that “there are always rumours”.
The 21-year-old forward is a player who has registered on the radars of Barca and Real Madrid since bursting onto a senior stage at Valencia.
Clasico rivals were unable to do a deal when a big-money move was made in 2020, as City won that race, but a stint at Camp Nou is being speculated on again ahead of the winter transfer window.
What has been said?
Quizzed on the surprising links to Barca by Radioestadio noche, Torres sought to shrug them off by saying: “There are always rumours, a thousand come out every day.”
He added on his experience in England: “Now I am enjoying being able to go out more to see Manchester, it is a city in which there are things to do. The only downside I would put is the weather.”
How has Torres fared at Man City?
City invested around £20 million ($28m) in Torres when luring him away from Valencia and added him to a squad loaded with attacking talent.
He has managed 16 goals through 43 appearances, including a Premier League hat-trick, and also has 12 goals through 21 outings for Spain.
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Torres believes his development is being well served by the coaches he works under, with there plenty to learn from Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
He said of two demanding bosses: “The truth is that they are not very different.
“I am a sponge and I am learning a lot from both of them, I feel very lucky.
“I think I have a lot of room for improvement and I am lucky to be with two of the best coaches in the world who are teaching me and I am learning from them.”
Any issues for Torres?
The likes of Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden will still be around when Torres returns to England, but for now he is focused on international duty with Spain and a UEFA Nations League final clash with France on Sunday.
He had been a slight doubt for that contest after netting a match-winning semi-final brace against Euro 2020 winners Italy, but a confident character insists a slight knock will not hold him back.
Torres said when asked for a fitness update: “The foot is progressing well. It is time to deal with the physios for Sunday. I am a warrior, I will play in the final whatever."