What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi’s big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi’s old number

Spanish striker Ferran Torres switched Manchester City for Barcelona this January transfer window in a deal believed to be worth around €55 million. Xavi has been a long admirer of the young forward and it is now being said he will take up Messi’s vacated shirt number at Barcelona. To answer if this is true, we at Alley Sport answer your question- what number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona in the article below.

The story of Torres to Barca

There is a lot of excitement among Barcelona fans as the club completed the signing of exciting young prospect Ferran Torres. The 21-year-old completed the transfer from Manchester City in a deal worth €55 million and he was officially unveiled as a new Barcelona player at the Camp Nou on 28th December 2021. After Samuel Umtiti’s contract extension and the sale of Phil Coutinho, the Blaugrana freed up enough funds to register the forward this month.

What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi's big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi's old number
What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi’s big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi’s old number

The ex-Valencia man had been on the radars of Barça for quite some time now. The interest further amplified after the arrival of former captain Xavi Hernandez as manager, with the 41-year-old tactician believed to have chosen the signing of Torres over RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo due to his superior goalscoring record. Amidst this all, there has been a lot of curiosity among the Camp Nou faithful about the shirt number that the 21-year-old will be donning at Barcelona.

What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona- The possible options

According to La Liga’s rules, first-team players are supposed to take up numbers between 1 and 25. Barcelona already have players registered for most of the numbers, with only 8, 25 and 19 being free when Torres joined. With Dani Alves taking up No. 8, Ferran Torres had the options of 25 and 19, with the latter being vacated by Sergio Aguero after his unfortunate sudden retirement due to cardiac issues.

What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi's big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi's old number
What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi’s big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi’s old number

The number 25 is usually taken up by the third-choice goalkeeper of the team in La Liga. But with Barcelona’s third custodian, Iñaki Peña also being registered with the B team, he is currently wearing #26. If he had indeed chosen 25, he would be following former stars Thomas Vermaelen, Alex Song among others.

However, Ferran Torres has chosen to wear the number 19 shirt at Barcelona. He is now registered with the league and takes over the jersey from Sergio Agüero. Argentine Agüero is not the only goalscorer to have worn the number 19. Juan Antonio Pizzi (1996-98), Patrick Kluivert (1998-99) and Lionel Messi (January 2006 until summer 2008) have also proudly had the number on their backs. Furthermore, Martin Braithwaite, the current number 12, also wore the number when he first arrived at Camp Nou. 

As such, Torres has big boots to fill after taking up Leo Messi’s old number.

Debut in El Clasico- What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona

Ferran Torres finally got to make his first appearance for FC Barcelona, proudly donning the number 19 shirt, against none other than Real Madrid in Wednesday’s Spanish Super Cup semi-final which ended in a 3-2 defeat in extra time after a gutsy performance from Xavi Hernández’s team.

What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi's big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi's old number
What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi’s big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi’s old number

Despite being taken off at half time, Torres has a number of years ahead to make his name at Barcelona. It remains to be seen if the youngster can indeed match or even, surpass his predecessors’ achievements to make the number 19 shirt synonymous with his name.

Comment on “What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi’s big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi’s old number” and let us know your thoughts on who will win the game.

For More stories like What number will Ferran Torres wear at Barcelona?- Xavi’s big €55m January transfer signing to take up Messi’s old number, click here.

Follow us on Instagram and check out our YouTube channel to stay in touch with the latest happenings in football.

Scroll to Top