Barça working to reduce the difference with Man City on Torres fee

Manchester City forward Ferran Torres is one of Barcelona's attacking targets for January, but it's a complicated deal to pull off with the two clubs' valuations still miles apart.

Barça initial limit was around €40 million, while the Premier League side asked for €80m. Despite the differences, though, the Catalan club remain confident of putting together a more competitive package that could convince City to sell Torres, who is open to moving to Camp Nou.

Talks over personal terms with the Spain international's camp are at an advanced stage, but there's a lot to be done to reach an agreement with City. Negotiations continue, though. And if they are continuing, there's a reason why.

City coach Pep Guardiola has said: "Out players won't leave for free." At the same time, though, the relationship between the two clubs is fluid. Sooner or later, Barça believe the pieces will fall into place, as explained by the journalist Gerard Romero earlier on Wednesday.

Barça have put several names on the table in a bid to ease negotiations. Some of the players offered have important roles at the LaLiga club, too. However, the salaries of those players is a handicap for City, who don't want to break their wage structure or pay them as much as they're earning in Barcelona.

Therefore, talks continue over the fee. Naturally, once a loose agreement is reached, the clubs would then have to finalise the structure of the deal, including add-ons and, above all, a payment schedule.

As things stand, the final fee is just as important to City as the formula of the payment. And that's where the Catalan club's hope stems from as they look to get creative in the short term.