FC Barcelona’s sale of Pablo Torre to Mallorca has sparked a formal dispute with Racing de Santander, the midfielder’s former club, which has now taken the case to La Liga. The disagreement centers on the transfer fee and whether it was set in a way that blocked Racing from receiving a percentage of the deal.
Torre left Barcelona for Mallorca on July 14 after a season on the fringes under Hansi Flick. The Catalan club did not officially disclose the figures, but the deal was widely reported at 4.95 million euros, almost identical to the amount Barcelona paid Racing in March 2022, when the player moved to Camp Nou for a fixed five million euros plus variables that could rise significantly.
That similarity is precisely what has angered Racing. Because the fee matched the original transfer price, the Cantabrian club did not earn any capital gain, despite having included a clause entitling them to a share of any future profit. Racing believes the structure of the sale was intentional and has accused Barcelona of acting in bad faith.
The issue was addressed publicly during Racing’s shareholders’ meeting. Club president Manolo Higuera confirmed that formal steps had already been taken, saying Racing would claim before La Liga “what we believe is an economic right related to that transfer. It is an operation carried out in bad faith to harm a third party.” He later stressed that the aim is not to provoke a feud, adding, “I do not want any confrontation with Barcelona, but we will fight for what belongs to us.”
Racing’s argument hinges on Barcelona’s buyback clause, which reportedly allows the Blaugrana to re-sign Torre for around 10 million euros. According to the Cantabrian club, that figure reflects the player’s true market value and should be used as a reference point when calculating the transfer, which would have generated a profit and, in turn, a payout to Racing. Barcelona sources, however, see that reasoning as weak, insisting that only the actual sale price to Mallorca can be used to assess whether there was a capital gain.
The midfielder’s contract history adds further nuance. Of the variables included when Barcelona signed Torre, only one was triggered: a one-million-euro payment after he reached 10 official appearances of at least 45 minutes. Torre ultimately played 27 matches for Barcelona, but only hit that time threshold in 10 of them, finishing his spell with five goals and four assists.
Now at Mallorca under Jagoba Arrasate, Torre has been seeking regular minutes. This season he has featured in 17 matches across all competitions, providing three assists in 778 minutes, an average of roughly 45 minutes per appearance.
