Mateu Alemany, Barcelona's sports director, went at Man City's headquarters yesterday for transfer talks.
Mateu Alemany, Barcelona's sporting director, was reportedly in Manchester to hold conversations with City fans about the possibility of selling Raheem Sterling. With Sterling's recent resurgence, the Englishman may find himself on the pitch more frequently in the coming weeks, confirming his determination to flourish at the Etihad.
Last July, Sterling's case was resolved. Pep Guardiola's side were willing to let the winger go, and Alemany was informed of the situation. Barça claim that Sterling ruled out a move at the last minute, but Sterling's camp claims that the offer came too late for the England international to consider it.
Things have changed since then. The main issue is that City will not consider a loan until Barça agrees to make the agreement permanent. City will only let Sterling leave if a future transfer is secured, according to club sources. That may be right now, or it could be a loan with a buy-back clause. And this complicates things for Barça.
With Sterling appearing to be financially and practically unattainable for the former La Liga powerhouse, the Catalan giants have turned their attention to Ferran Torres.
Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona's manager, is known to be a fan of Ferran Torres, and the Blaugrana would like Torres to head the current Barca line. The winger/forward is thought to be enticed by the prospect of leading the Barcelona line, despite the fact that he is content at Manchester City. Manchester City, aware of Barcelona's interest in Ferran Torres, have set a €50 million asking price for the 21-year-old, according to Gerard Romero.
The starting charge for the negotiations is estimated to be €50 million, but it could easily rise to €70 million.
blogpay
