Barcelona have confirmed they have been able to register Ferran Torres after agreeing a new contract with defender Samuel Umtiti which increases the club’s financial fair play quota.
Torres joined Barcelona from Manchester City on a five-and-a-half-year contract on 28 December, in a deal worth an initial €55m (£45.9m). The Spanish international was unveiled at Camp Nou last week after Barça secured a bank loan to fund the move.
On Monday morning, the Catalan club announced Umtiti’s contract extension until 2026, which will see some of his wages reduced. Shortly after, Barcelona announced that as a result of Umtiti’s new agreement, they were able to officially complete Torres’s registration.
Torres had hoped to make his debut in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia on 12 January, having recovered from a broken metatarsal sustained on international duty in October. That could be delayed after the forward tested positive for Covid-19, along with teammate Pedri.
“Barcelona and first-team player Samuel Umtiti have reached an agreement to extend the latter’s contract until 30 June 2026,” a club statement said. “The French defender is reducing a part of the salary that he was due to receive in the year-and-a-half remaining on his [existing] contract.
“This contract extension operation does not entail any greater financial commitments for FC Barcelona with regard to the player. Through this contract extension, Barcelona will be able to increase its financial fair play quota and thus register Ferran Torres with the Spanish Professional Football League.
“FC Barcelona wishes to publicly express its gratitude to Samuel Umtiti for his willingness and the affection that he has demonstrated towards the club.” Umtiti, a World Cup winner in 2018 with France, joined Barça from Lyon in 2016.
Barcelona have also signed 17-year-old forward Fabio Blanco from Eintracht Frankfurt. Blanco, who moved to Germany from Valencia last summer, will initially play for the club’s B team. Barça have inserted a €100m (£83.4m) release clause in Blanco’s contract after paying Frankfurt a fee in the region of €500,000.