Ferran Torres has been allowed to miss Barcelona training on Wednesday as he works to finalise a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Spain forward, 26, was expected to report back for training with the Catalan club but will instead continue discussions over a transfer to PSG.
The proposed deal is expected to be worth more than £40m. PSG are due to play Aston Villa in the Super Cup final in Salzburg on Wednesday night.
Torres has one year remaining on his Barcelona contract. His willingness to discuss the possibility of leaving has frustrated some supporters, particularly after he spoke openly about his future during a media tour of the United States following Spain’s World Cup victory.
“I have a contract with Barcelona but, in football, you never know.”
When asked specifically about reports linking him with PSG, Torres said: “Every time these teams want you it’s a good thing.
“You never know because in football everything can change in one minute, so I have to be ready for everything.”
Torres scored Spain’s extra-time winner against Argentina as they secured their second World Cup this summer. The goal made him one of the central figures in Spain’s successful campaign and strengthened his status as one of the country’s leading forwards.
A move to Paris would reunite Torres with former Barcelona player and manager Luis Enrique, who is now in charge of PSG. The French club have won the Champions League in each of the past two seasons.
PSG could also see Bradley Barcola leave the club this summer, with the forward wanted by Liverpool.
Torres joined Barcelona in 2022 after spending two years with Manchester City. He has scored 25 goals in 65 appearances for Spain.
His absence from Barcelona’s training schedule comes as negotiations over his next move enter their final stages. The player’s contract situation, with only 12 months left to run, has increased the likelihood of a decision being reached this summer.
Barcelona have yet to confirm the transfer, while PSG’s involvement comes as they prepare for their Super Cup final against Aston Villa. A deal worth more than £40m would bring Torres’ two-year spell at Barcelona to an end and take him to a club managed by a coach he already knows from his time in Spain and Catalonia.