Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Barcelona will sign 21-year-old striker Ferran Torres but insisted that a deal between the two clubs will be finalized.
Barcelona have increased its Spanish international bid to 55 million euros and an additional 10 million euros, a figure close to the 70m euros Sky Blues had requested to allow Ferran to leave in January.
“It’s not official, I know they’re negotiating, it’s close, that’s all. If the club announces a [move], it’s over,” Guardiola said on Thursday.
“They are negotiating. If the party confirms, it is over, but Txiki [Begiristain] did not say to me that it had happened.
“When he knocked on my door and said he wanted to leave, I thought I was leaving.
“I want happiness from my players, if you are not happy you should go. We are not a club where presidents and CEOs say, ‘no you have to stay.
“Players and clubs have to agree, this is business, but if a player wants to leave, they go.
“It’s not just Ferran, everyone. If you want to go because you’ll be happy somewhere, you have to go.
“The job of a footballer is short. If he wants to leave, and the clubs have a contract, I’m happy for him.”