Barcelona sells Jofre Torrents to Ajax for €6m

FC Barcelona have agreed the sale of young full-back Jofre Torrents to Ajax for around €6 million, including fixed and variable fees, with the Catalan club retaining 50% of the player’s rights, according to SPORT.

The 19-year-old is expected in Amsterdam within hours to undergo a medical and sign a four-year contract with the Dutch giants, in what will be his first move away from Spain.

La Masia chapter closes

The deal between Barcelona and Ajax was sealed on Thursday night, when the transfer documents were signed and the last details tied up. With that, Torrents’ long journey through La Masia is effectively over.

He joined the academy in 2017 as a ten-year-old and climbed each rung of the ladder until finally breaking into the first team last season, making four official appearances. This summer he also featured in pre-season friendlies against CE Europa and Birmingham City, hinting at a bigger role that ultimately never came.

Now, instead of fighting for minutes at Montjuïc, he is waiting for the final green light from Barcelona to board a plane to the Netherlands.

That authorisation will dictate his immediate schedule. If it arrives quickly, he will complete his medical and sign his contract straight away. If not, the plan is different: travel on Sunday, watch his new teammates from the stands, and then undergo tests on Monday.

Ajax host Heerenveen at 16:45 on Sunday in the second round of the Eredivisie. Torrents could be in the stadium, not yet on the pitch, but already part of the next phase of his career.

A demanding new stage at Ajax

For Torrents, this is a leap into the unknown. New country, new league, new pressure.

He walks into a club that expects its full-backs to be brave on the ball and relentless without it. Ajax have already invested €10 million this summer in Caio Henrique for the same position, so the teenager will not be handed anything. He will have to wrestle for that starting spot.

Barcelona, for their part, have chosen a halfway house: cash in now, but keep 50% of the player’s rights in case his development explodes in Amsterdam. It is a bet on his potential, even as they let him go.

Deco trims the squad

This move is not just about one player. It fits neatly into Deco’s broader plan to slim down a bloated squad before the transfer window shuts.

Torrents’ departure is one more step in a process that is far from finished. At least five more exits are on the table.

• Marc Casado
• Hector Fort
• Tommy Marques
• Guille Fernandez
• Toni Fernandez

All have been training away from the main group in recent days. The message is clear: Barcelona want to protect them from injury and keep them ready for a move.

None of the five features in Hansi Flick’s plans, and all remain available for transfer. La Masia has rarely been under such scrutiny, its products judged not only on talent but on whether they fit a new sporting project and a harsh financial reality.

Torrents is the first of this latest batch to step through the exit door. The real question now is how many will follow him – and how many of them Barcelona might one day wish they had kept.