Ferran's Future in Limbo

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0:36Welcome in to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Ali Moreno. And we also welcome from Spain and France, respectively, Gemma Soler is with us, as is Frank LaBeouf. Plenty to talk about on today's show. And we'll start with a man who's living his best life at the moment. Well, at least you think he would be. Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup. Not only that, Lewandowski's now left Barcelona, so surely he's your number one, number nine. But every time these teams want you, it's a good thing. This is talking about linked to PSG. In football, you never know what can happen, but the good thing is that as I have a contract, I can wait and decide on my own.

1:17What do Barca need to do to keep me? They have to show me they want me. Come to negotiate, and in the end, it's all about talking. Gemma, what's going on here? Gemma, what's going on here? Yeah, Dan, so with Ferran, it has always been like this in his previous clubs, especially in Valencia. He is a special football player. He wants to feel important. He needs to feel important. And he has felt that he hasn't been considered as much as he should have at Barcelona first because he didn't have enough chances, not starting, not being that much loved by the fans, by the board of members, by the important people in the club, and especially before the World Cup, because the club preferred to wait to see what happened with Lewandowski before approaching his agents to talk about the renewal, because he only has one more season of contract.

2:16So now he's living the best time of his life, of course. After scoring that goal, he's at his best momentum. whom he feels important and he decided to do this round of interviews on international TV. This is something the club were not aware. They didn't like that much. They are not feeling very comfortable, but I had the chance to talk with some sources at Barcelona. And they say that the position is the same. Barcelona wants to renew Ferran Torres. They expect him to be back after his holidays the 12th of August. and unless he appears there and says he wants to leave, they count on Ferran Torres being a Barcelona player next season.

2:58Frank, do you understand this from Ferran Torres' view in a sense that his stock is never going to be higher, so why not try and negotiate another big deal and use PSG as a pawn? Because you have a contract. You have a one-year contract left, for sure, but you have a contract, so you have to respect your contract, You have to respect your decision when you sign that contract. And you have to respect the club who accept that contract. So I feel a bit upset with that, even if I understand the way he thinks of football. You have Paris Saint-Germain, so maybe it's a time for Barcelona to put more money on him.

3:37But I think it's, I don't know, it's a little bit awkward for me to think that way. It's not because you won the World Cup. It's not because you scored a goal in the World Cup. you think that the world owes you everything. So again, you sign a contract, respect it, and talk to the club. Why do you want to go public? Talk to the club, studio agent maybe, see what you can do, and if it's possible to do anything. And we know that Barcelona don't have the money of the world, like Paris Saint-Germain, before going public. So it's annoying for me to see that because it says a lot about the mentality of the player it's all about money that's why i

4:17Sebastian Salazar:think it's a little bit sad i have to say i'm not a guy that is actually watching morning shows all the time but i happen to catch the morning show in which ferran torres locally here in the united states in the morning show and i'm thinking why is this guy here why are they having this guy on and he's talking about his future of barcelona and he's talking about his experience with spain and I'm, wait a minute, wait a minute. What is he trying to do? What kind of message is he trying to send? Why is he doing this media circus? It doesn't feel like there is a whole lot of value to this because I don't think, if you're a serious club, and I'm going to assume that Barcelona are a serious club, I don't think you change your position based on the fact that he scored the game-winning goal in the World Cup final.

5:06Sebastian Salazar:If your position about Ferran Torres was whatever that may have been going into the World Cup, I don't think that his performances in the World Cup would have changed that. Because going into that World Cup final, had Spain not won the World Cup, one of the reasons that you may have looked at as to why they did not win the World Cup was because, man, they just didn't have a striker that could put the ball in the back of the net consistently. And that would have been Ferran Torres. And he did not have a good World Cup up until he scored a game-winning goal. And so his performance in the World Cup would not change my position if I were a club.

5:40Sebastian Salazar:And in this case, Barcelona are thinking, okay, let's go forward whatever the negotiations are. But we're not going to be forced into something because you scored this one goal. When you're making a contract decision on a player, you're thinking long term. You're not thinking just, hey, he just scored this game winning goal, World Cup winning goal. Now we change everything about the player. Ferran Torres as a player hasn't changed just because he just scored this goal. there are certain things that I like about Ferran Torres and there are other things that he comes up short and somewhere in the middle is the truth about who this player is and I think Barcelona trying to get there Ferran Torres is going to have to meet him in the middle but Barcelona if they're going to have a great season surely they need Ferran Torres on board Gemma because there's no plan B is there when it comes to a striker well there is a plan I don't know if it's B or it's A, it's Julian Alvarez.

6:31We might talk about him a bit later on. But no matter what, what they don't want to do is to have the situation of a player like Ferran Torres that they don't want to keep him playing his last season with a contract. So they want to avoid that situation. And before the World Cup, they told Ferran and their agents that they wanted to postpone this until September because, you know, the struggles of Barcelona, the financial plan will be better. But it's true that if there's not Julian happening, which is not very close, the only strikers Barcelona has is Ferran. I put him in the starting 11. And Hamza, the young player from Egypt, 18 years old.

7:16So there's not a pure striker. And Hansi Flick's system, it's true that he might adapt, but he needs that focus on the number nine, on a false number nine or something. they don't have that many options right now. Julian Alvarez is a player we haven't spoken about that much actually over the last few weeks. He came out early in the World Cup didn't he and say that it was time to move. He wanted to go to Barcelona. Atleti then took to social media. We know what's been going on between them, Real Madrid and Barca about the Argentine forwards. So where are we now Gemma? So now there was an important meeting earlier today in Madrid that we still don't know what happened.

7:55the sport director Deco traveled to Madrid to meet with Julian Alvarez's representative, with the agents, with Fernando Hidalgo. And somehow Barcelona wants to intensify the efforts to sign Julian Alvarez. The position of Atlético de Madrid stays the same. They want to keep Julian Alvarez. If he wants to go, they are willing to make some kind of deal, but they don't want to hear anything, anything about Barcelona. So it can be Arsenal, it can be PSG, but no Barcelona. So the position stays the same. My sources tell me that Barcelona are not in the position right now to make a new offer to Atletico because nobody is listening.

8:37They did an offer in June of 100 millions. And they say no or they didn't reply, actually. So the position is very complicated. There was this meeting a few hours ago. We still don't know what happened in that meeting. Barcelona, they leaked that information. You know, they signed Gordon, Adeyemi, all these players in absolute silence. We didn't know about that. Of course, we know everything regarding Julian Alvarez because they want somehow to put pressure. I'm sure in the meeting, one of the things of the agenda is what Julian Alvarez needs to do when he goes back to training August 10th. Barcelona are not going to force him to do an action, but they will be very grateful because they think it's the only way to be able to talk to Atletico de Madrid, that the player himself makes more pressure.

9:27You mentioned that words in the World Cup, but Barcelona thinks they need yet another gesture from Julian Alvarez to put Atletico de Madrid in a very hard position. Barcelona look light, don't they, Ali? Yeah. They need reinforcements. Even if you keep Ferran Torres, you need Julian Alvarez as well.

9:47Sebastian Salazar:Yeah, and so when we're talking about Ferran Torres being the only option as number nine, it really is the only option, the only credible option. And he's not even a number nine. Not necessarily a guy that you can count on to be scoring a whole bunch of goals. And Julián Álvarez is a guy that we think can be an answer for Barcelona, but even then you're still thinking, don't quite have that player inside the 18-yard box that's just going to score a bunch of goals. And so, Loren Lewandowski hasn't been gone for a couple of months, and you're already missing him if you're Barcelona. As for what they look like without Ferran Torres or what they look like without Robert Lewandowski, it's a whole lot of we don't know who we're playing up top.

10:28Sebastian Salazar:So I guess, in going back to Ferran Torres, I would just say he feels like he's in a position of power because he can see the roster as well. He can see the players available. He can see that Julian Alvarez doesn't seem to be walking through that door. So if I am your guy, then invest in me like I am your guy and give me that love. Barcelona doesn't seem to feel that strongly about him. So Gemma, if what you say is true, Atleti have got absolutely no interest in giving Alvarez to Barcelona. There has to be a backup plan because, as we're saying, Barca need reinforcements in that number nine position.

11:04Are they looking at other people or have they got all their eggs in this Alvarez basket? As long as I'm aware and it hasn't been in any media and it's impossible to get a name out of the entourage of Barcelona of any other number nine. If you think on the World Cup and what happened on Spain, you think of Mikel Oyarzabal. But as far as I know, there hasn't been any kind of contact. Real Sociedad is another tough club with Barcelona. the same as last season, last three seasons with Nico Williams. So it's going to be really tough for Barcelona. It's true that Hansi Flick, in his last day on their stage in England, he said that he really needs the number nine, but he's not that stressed because he knows Gordon at the game.

11:53If Olmo, Ferran, they have mobility, they are flexible. So he can deal, but he needs that reference. But there is no other evidence that they are really engaging talking with any other reliable number nine. Everybody's praising a lot Hamza, this young Egyptian striker who was in the World Cup. He did an amazing press season with Barcelona, scoring twice, being very important. But he's an 18-year-old that has no experience. Gemma, good stuff. Thank you very much. Have you had a lovely summer, Gemma? Been good? yes I did I did yeah yeah I enjoyed the World Cup I enjoyed the Spain being world champions yeah they beat France really badly didn't they take France they did yes yeah it was a very interesting game I know yeah I know but Frank's happy because he still gets more attention the less World Cups I don't say a word I won't say a word I don't care Gemma thank you very much much appreciated we've discussed a lot over the last couple of days and the story continues Infantino's future as FIFA president very much up in the air is what Luis Figo had to say.

13:03Today I join others from across our game and call for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA president. Infantino has debased the office that he promised to elevate. He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he's supposed to serve. It's too late to save his dignity, but it's not too late to save football. He should go now. Frank, obviously you haven't been here for the last couple of weeks. What have you made of everything that we've seen develop during that time and indeed your reaction to what Luis Figo says? Well, I'm absolutely thrilled that many people went against that thought, let's say from Janine Fantino, and that the world of football decided to go against that decision and to invest in private investors in the football world, in the FIFA.

13:58So I'm as pleased that Luis Vigo, that he didn't exist. But yeah, there is a question mark now from Gianni Infantino, about Gianni Infantino, whether he should stay or not. I'm not the kind of guy who wants to decide for everything of that, who wants to give my opinion about that, even if I think that he went, I think he went a little bit too far in that matter. And because I love the football, I never thought football as something to get richer and richer. But there are lots of people around the football who just think about getting richer because of the football. So that's a shame. That's to be punished.

14:37And I think Gianni Infantino has already been punished about that. Will he should be sacked? Should he resign? I'm not sure. But he has to change his way of thinking the football if he wants to stay. I can tell you this much

14:51Sebastian Salazar:with 100 % certainty. If indeed Gianni Fantino is around for the 2030 World Cup, you know when Portugal is playing and they have the legends of Portugal and you see Pep and you'll see this guy and you'll see this guy. Luis Figo is not getting that invite. He is not getting that invite. He can come with us. We'll be more than happy to have him. Most definitely. Fair play to him. As you say, a lot of these former players make a lot of money. And you understand it by making these appearances his on behalf of FIFA, and he has burned that bridge, but boy, he's certainly standing by his mask. Good for Lewis Fede.

15:24Sebastian Salazar:You're a man of principle. Exactly. This is a show for you. Well, I've been noted Frank is sat on the fence, but there we go.

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17:38to sell players but to do things with a plan that we had in mind.

17:43Sebastian Salazar:We are still three weeks to go in the transfer market but we have an idea how we want to finish. Let's try to accomplish it the best possible way. We want to have a good season. Let's see where we are in May but for sure we want to have the feeling that we are competitive, that we can deserve to fight for important things during this year. time will tell but that's our goal at the moment three weeks ago to the start of the season Frank how are you feeling with your Chelsea ways

18:19I feel better because they finally understood the fact that they needed players with experiences and the fact that Anderson and also Danny Welbeck sorry Welbeck Danny Welbeck sorry Yeah, thank you very much for coming. And the fact that Lacroix is coming and he has experience now being international players. I think it's a good thing that those players, young players, I was saying, are surrounded by players who can show them the way, first in the dressing room maybe by behaving the right way, working hard in the training station, but also knowing how to handle some hard time during the game. So I think it's a very good thing.

19:02And I want to believe that Welbeck and Anderson will give very good advices to the youngest. Now, in terms of players, I think they have like 45 players. They have to get rid of some of them. And of course, Xavi Alonso will have to get a selection of the players and maybe get rid of 15, at least 15 players. That's insane. But it's what he has to do. Otherwise, you cannot work. You cannot be able to work properly every day, week in, week out, to make sure that you have everybody tuned in. So it's going to be hard. It's going to get rid of the player he doesn't want because if they are here and out, they're going to create problems inside the dressing room.

19:44So psychologically, it's going to be hard as well. So I want to believe that it can be a good season if Xabi Alonso knows how to cut off the squad. exactly know what he wants to do. Of course, the loss against Juventus doesn't mean anything because that's a friendly game. You try. First game of the season, I think, can't. So I want to believe that it's possible for Chelsea to have a good season. So let's wait and see. What does that mean, Frank? What does that mean? What is a good season? Well, a good season is, of course, in the Champions League fourth or fifth place. seats. But for me, the only club right now where I'm going to say is pretty sure to get into the first five is Arsenal.

20:33The others have darts everywhere. City, we don't know what's going to happen with the new coach. Liverpool with the team, we don't really know. And the same for United. Last year, for almost, well, more than half of a season, they were struggling. So nobody is ensured to be in the first four, but Arsenal, I would say, right now. Frank makes a good point there, doesn't he? Surprisingly so. Because every other club has got issues. Yeah. There are problems. I suppose the one positive you could say, and it's something Stevie brought up on yesterday's show, there's no Europe for Chelsea. You can just fully focus on the Premier League.

21:1138 games to finish the top four. And in that sense, that's fair to say that does make the path easier, doesn't it?

21:16Sebastian Salazar:It gives an advantage. advantage but in order to take advantage of indeed what you consider would be a positive for Chelsea you have to have a team and I don't know how you put together a team when you have this amount of players in the locker room see I'm all for upgrading a team I'm all for updating a team and that's maybe five six players four or five players at a time but when 10 players are walking into the locker room how do you actually put together a team so here we go here is a team it's a good team isn't it it's a competitive team but it's not that much different than the team that struggled for a long period of time last year Morgan Rogers obviously he he would be an upgrade and and imagine I have to imagine that a season later Esteban if he stays fit he's going to be a difference maker for them look and then you've got injuries at the back you've got James you You've got a cold wheel.

22:12Sebastian Salazar:And you have concerns and you have uncertainty. And the goalkeeping position is still a position that you can question. As you can question the rest of the squad for Chelsea. And so while I hear Xavi Alonso and what he's saying is that this is a year to invest and to sell and to buy players and to put together a squad and this and that and the other. Well, yes, in order to put together a squad, you need this team to play together. and it's a new manager with new ideas and all these things take time people don't want to people think that just guys just show up and magically you become a team well not with a new manager not with a bunch of new players all these things take time and so on paper it would seem like Chelsea seem to be heading in the right direction and seem to be making the right decisions but it's a lot of players that are coming in and a lot of players that are going out it's hard to make a team work as a group together consistently so and productively so when you keep making changes.

23:16Frank, what do you like, what you don't like about that starting 11 we put up? What I really like is the fact that Colwell comes back if James is not injured with the signature, the signing, sorry, of Lacroix. I think it makes the defense being better than last season. I want to know where Enzo Fernandes stands because he clearly said that he wanted to go. So I don't know if he should stay in the first 11. And I find the four at front more suitable and more according to what I want to see with Chelsea, where they all can play together. They're really in the right positioning. So I think it can be very interesting to see those four players playing together.

24:11Yes, as Ali, I have a question mark for the goalkeeper. Sanchez can be very good on the line, but with his feet, he's always creating issues and scares the fans when he has the ball in his feet. And the bench. And I'm with Ali. Again, what are you going to do with the bench? How are you going to work on that? The best recruitment right now is Xabi Alonso. But how Xabi Alonso will make his team work, we don't have the answer. Because he will have, again, to cut off the squad. Otherwise, he's not going to survive.

24:43Sebastian Salazar:And we're also assuming that Cole Palmer is going to be Cole Palmer. Which he wasn't. Which Cole Palmer, though? That's what I'm saying. Will the real Cole Palmer stand up? Please. Please do so. If indeed he does, and he plays at a high level, which he expected to be, then we're having a different type of conversation. but he's going to have to take that position as the guy in the attack for Chelsea. Because if he's not, if he has this up and down season like he did last year, then Chelsea become more limited in the attack. And so I think there are a lot of questions. And it was the initial point that Frank made and that you made as well, that every team is trying to figure out who they are.