Barcelona interest in Ferran Torres confirmed as Laporta calls Dembele‘better than Mbappe’

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed Manchester City forward Ferran Torres is a January transfer target while also claiming contract rebel Ousmane Dembele is “better than Kylian Mbappe”.

The Liga giants are hoping their financial struggles of the recent past, which led to Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann leaving, are now being left behind as plans for the future are drawn up with club legend Xavi at the helm.

There will not be much money to spend over the winter, but a number of possible additions are being identified and Spain international Torres is one of those.

Laporta told TV3 : “He [Torres] is one of the players we have in our sights, but there are many others. You have to wait and see how everything goes.”

He added: “Xavi has asked us to reinforce the squad and we are going to try to do so, but at the moment we do not have a salary margin to do it.

“Therefore, at this moment it is not possible but we must let the sports management work.”

While a number of players are seeing moves to Camp Nou mooted, there is also plenty of exit talk.

World Cup winner Ousmane Dembele is among those to be generating speculation, with the France international due to become a free agent in the summer of 2022.

Fresh terms have been mooted for the 24-year-old, and Laporta remains convinced a player he holds in the highest regard will commit to Barcelona.

He added: “We have a very good relationship with Dembele and he wants to stay. We also want him because he is a great player.

“These are situations that need a negotiation with the representatives who want the best for the player. I am enthusiastic about Dembele, he is better than Mbappe.”