There were several former Manchester City players involved in last night’s World Cup final, including Ferran Torres who scored the winning goal.
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It was a game that failed to really spark into life, with Argentina defending for the most part.
Spain eventually broke their opponents down though, with Ferran Torres lashing home in extra-time after good work by Nico Williams.
Of course, Torres was once of Manchester City, and here is the reason he left the club.
Why Spain hero Ferran Torres actually left Manchester City in 2022
Torres spent two years at the Etihad Stadium, having transferred in 2020 from Valencia for about £21 million.
There was a lot of hype about the signing, with Torres taking the legendary David Silva’s number 21 shirt.
Sadly, though he never quite lived up to his billing, and struggled to become a regular starter under Pep Guardiola. His highlight was probably the 22-minute hat-trick he scored against Newcastle in a 4-3 win at St. James’ Park, which featured an audacious flick.
In the summer of 2022, he departed to join Barcelona, who paid just over £55 million (BBC Sport) for the forward.
And actually, Barcelona have been paying that fee in installments, and it was recently claimed they are trying to sell him this summer, as extending his contract would force them to pay £6.8 million to City.
| Ferran Torres for Man City |
| Appearances – 43 |
| Goals – 16 |
| Assists – 4 |
But the reason Torres left the Etihad in 2022 is because the move to Barca was a ‘no-brainer’ for him.
He said (via Manchester Evening News): “I feel good. It’s a little hard to move clubs in January, but Manchester City let me leave easily.”
“[City] were winning everything, but when you don’t have the opportunities you want, you consider other options. Xavi wanted me, and it was a no-brainer.
“I’ve always said it, it was very clear to me. I went to City to return to one of the greats in Spain. I was prepared to assume this responsibility. I want to return Barca to the place where it deserves,” Torres said at his unveiling.”
Ultimately, a fractured metatarsal ruled him out for several months in his second season. He left the club in January, with Guardiola more than happy to let him depart.
He also had competition from the likes of Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva at the time.
Since leaving City, Torres has made 207 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 65 goals and making 23 assists.
The club now face a decision on whether to extend his contract, which would mean payment to Manchester City, or probably selling, since he only has a year left on his deal.
