FC Barcelona have included teenage wonderkid Pablo Torre in their UEFA Champions League squad after Xavi Hernandez’s side won the race to sign the 19-year-old this summer ahead of Rangers.
According to Marca, Xavi has made the ‘shock’ decision to include the versatile attacking midfielder in Barcelona’s Champions League squad despite not yet making his professional debut for the senior team, with the Catalan currently placing the youngster in their B team for the time being.
Rangers were reportedly interested in signing Torre after the midfielder established himself at Racing Santander as a key first-team player for the lower-tier Spanish side, yet Barcelona eventually won the race for the youngster’s signature in a move that many have compared to that of Pedri’s.
Barcelona signed the now Spain international after Pedri broke through at Las Palmas before the Catalan giants signed the midfielder up on a long-term deal, and with Torre now in Xavi’s squad for the Champions League, there could be a chance that the former Rangers target could forge a similar path for himself.
With Rangers back in Europe’s biggest club competition, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will be hopeful of making history by progressing to the round of 16 in a tough group involving the likes of Liverpool and Napoli, and a meeting with Barcelona in the knockout stages could see Torre face off against the side who almost signed him.
Indeed, Torre could soon make his debut for Barcelona based on this move by Xavi, and for Rangers, losing out on the 19-year-old now feels that more painful given that the midfielder could now feature in the Champions League, a statement of how talented the Spanish youth international is.
Torre inclusion in Barcelona’s Champions League squad is a blow for Rangers
Rangers will be looking to make a statement in the Champions League this season after battling hard to make it to the group stages, yet after this weekend’s 4-0 Old Firm loss to Celtic, the result and new that Torre has been included in Barcelona’s European squad will be a blow for the Gers.
After all, Rangers were seemingly well in the race to sign Torre this summer, and for Barcelona to win the race and to include the teenager in their Champions League squad already will sting for Van Bronckhorst, who could now meet the youngster in the round of 16.
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