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The FC Barcelona transfer market has just taken a 180 degree turn that has left everyone and everyone astonished.

When everyone was pointing out that the Blaugrana club would go for one of the world’s greatest stars to succeed Robert Lewandowski at the top of the attack – with the names of Erling Haaland and Julián Álvarez ringing loudly in the rumor mill – the board, with the direct approval of Hansi Flick, has made a radically different and, for many, completely unexpected decision.

The chosen one is not any of the bombastic names that circulated in the pools.

Barcelona have set their sights on Ferran Torres, the same player who has already been part of the squad since 2022, but who will now be given the role of main center forward starting next summer, when Lewandowski’s contract is expected to come to an end.

Yes, you read correctly: the successor to the club’s all-time top scorer in recent years could be… one of yours.

The context: Lewandowski and the inevitable crossroads

Robert Lewandowski turns 37 in 2025 and, although he remains an elite forward (with more than respectable figures in this 2025-26 season), physical wear and tear and the need to rejuvenate the squad are unavoidable realities.

His contract expires in June 2026 and, according to multiple internal sources, the renewal seems increasingly complicated.

Hansi Flick, who has always praised the Pole’s professionalism and scoring instinct, has been clear in the planning meetings: “Robert is exceptional, but we need to think about the immediate and medium-term future.”

The German coach, the architect of the team’s notable improvement since his arrival, has insisted that the new ‘9’ must fit perfectly into his philosophy: high pressure, constant mobility, ability to attack spaces, work without the ball and tactical versatility.

Profiles that, in the foreign market, would imply enormous investments that the club, even under strict financial controls from La Liga, cannot assume without extraordinary financial juggling.

Why do Haaland and Álvarez fall out of the equation?

Erling Haaland has always been the wet dream of much of Barcelona fans. The Norwegian, with his devastating physical power and his supernatural sense of goal, seemed like the perfect replacement.

However, Manchester City protected the player with a contract until 2034, adding an astronomical termination clause and a salary that would make even state clubs tremble. The operation is simply unfeasible.

For his part, Julián Álvarez, the Argentine ‘Spider’ who shines (although with ups and downs) at Atlético de Madrid, was also on Joan Laporta’s wish list.

However, his market price is around 100 million euros, his contract is long and the mattress club has no intention of negotiating downwards.

Furthermore, the latest information indicates that the Argentine’s performance in the 2025-26 season has not been as dominant as expected, which has cooled Blaugrana interest.

Other names such as Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen, Serhou Guirassy, ​​Dusan Vlahovic or even Harry Kane (with his 65 million clause) have appeared at different times, but they all present economic, sporting or adaptation obstacles that greatly complicate their arrival.

Ferran Torres: the internal bet that changes everything

And here the big surprise comes into play: Ferran Torres.

The Valencian, signed for 55 million euros from Manchester City, has had an absolutely spectacular 2025 season. With 27 goals in the calendar year (according to data up to the end of December), he has become the top Spanish scorer in the major European leagues.

Hansi Flick has used him both on the wing and up front, and his evolution has been impressive: greater aggressiveness in pressing, better reading of spaces, ability to play with his back and, above all, a scoring consistency that few expected.

The board and the coaching staff have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary to spend 100 or 150 million on a new ‘9’ when they already have a player at home who:

He knows Flick’s system perfectly He is fully adapted to the club and the city He is hungry for prominence He can coexist perfectly with promising young players from La Masía or with other forwards on the squad It does not represent a huge salary impact

Joan Laporta, in the last strategy meetings, would have stated: “If Ferran continues like this, why look outside for what we already have inside?”

Deco, for its part, sees this decision as an intelligent way to meet the demands of financial fair play and, at the same time, reward the growth of a player who has proven worthy of trust.

The doubts and criticisms that have already arisen

Of course, the decision is not without controversy. In the culé environment, the first critical voices are already being heard:

«Is Ferran Torres the undisputed starter ahead of a Haaland or a Julián Álvarez? It seems like a too conservative bet” “Lewandowski deserves a world-class replacement, not an internal solution” “What if Ferran lowers his level? What plan B do we have?

These doubts are understandable. Ferran Torres has never been the pure and classic ‘9’ that Lewandowski was. His style is more dynamic, more associative, less of an area finisher.

It will be necessary to see if he can assume the responsibility of being the offensive reference in the big Champions League games and in the Classics. Furthermore, his injury history (although it has improved significantly in recent times) remains a mystery to some.

Flick’s vision: pragmatism and trust in the known

Hansi Flick, on the other hand, defends this choice with conviction. The German coach has always prioritized collective intensity over individual names.

For him, a striker who understands automatisms, who presses like crazy and who can rotate with other offensive profiles is much more valuable than an isolated and expensive scorer who needs time to adapt.

«Ferran has shown that he can decide important games. He has hunger, quality and commitment. “I completely trust him,” the coach would have said privately.

Conclusion: a brave (or reckless) bet

FC Barcelona has decided, by surprise, not to go for the world star that everyone expected.

Instead, he is committed to strengthening one of his own, to trust in internal growth and to save resources for other more urgent positions (left-footed center back, top-level left winger, etc.).

Will this strategy succeed? Will Ferran Torres be Lewandowski’s worthy heir? Or will we miss that global ‘crack’ that seemed inevitable? Time, as always, will be the implacable judge.

What is clear is that, on New Year’s Eve 2025, Barcelona fans have a guaranteed topic of conversation for the coming months: the unexpected ‘9’ that Hansi Flick and the board have decided to bet on. Not even Haaland. Not even Alvarez. Just Ferran.

And now… let’s wait for what 2026 has in store for us.

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