Barcelona looked set to loan out young starlet Pablo Torre before the end of the transfer market, but a radical turn of events has stopped that deal in its tracks.
Torre, 19, joined Barcelona this summer from Racing Santander with the idea that he would alternate between the Atletic team and the first team. However recently weeks it looked as if he might return to Racing, who now play in a higher division than Barcelona Atletic, on loan for the coming season. However there seems to be change of direction.
Aitor Alexandre, a journalist based in Cantabria, has given an interesting timeline of events that led to Barcelona switching approaches with Torre.
- Xavi Hernandez appears open to and even endorses a loan move for Torre in a press conference. Racing swing into action and Torre tells the club that Racing are the only club he wants to join on loan.
- Racing offer to pay for 40% of his salary, which is acceptable for Barcelona, but they want Torre to move to Cadiz instead. Torre only wants Racing.
- Xavi accepts Torre’s petition to go to Racing and it appears a deal will be done. However Barcelona’s Director of Football Mateu Alemany is annoyed with Xavi for publicly declaring Torre would be available for a loan as it wasn’t agreed beforehand.
- Alemany wants to follow the original plan of training with the first team and playing with Atletic. Xavi’s going above his head means Alemany has shut the door on an exit.
- Racing have increased their offer to 65% of his salary but Barcelona, wary of the news that has come out about a Financial Fair Play investigation are also not keen on a move.
Alexandre goes on to point out that while Torre is not best pleased with the situation, he understands that he must follow the original plan and also states that at no point have Barcelona told Torre anything that was not the truth.
However this episode does little for the relationship between Xavi and Alemany. In addition, it is unfair for a young footballer’s development to be affected by power struggles that have little to do with him.