After a week when in Rouen, France, a love affair went wrong and a distraught man tried to gas himself – while lighting his last Gauloises cigarette he caused an explosion and, finding himself on fire, jumped into a water tank and drowned ! – Real Mallorca finally got their man when, after weeks of negotiations, 22-year-old Spanish youth international Pablo Torre, signed a four-year contract and arrived on the island on Monday. Then on Tuesday, Finnish international goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom became our second Summer signing and arrived on a free transfer.
The transaction price for Torre is 5 million euros for 50% of the player’s federation rights and Real Mallorca retain a buy-out clause of approximately 25 million euros. The transfer talks took longer than expected as Torre has been on holiday after playing for the Spanish Under 20s (they’re allowed two overage players) in the recent European championships last month. On his arrival, Torre said “Mallorca excites me and I’m very happy to be here and meeting all my team-mates at the training ground.”
Club director Pablo Ortells has been tracking Torre for some time and, like everybody connected with the club, is delighted to welcome him. Ortells commented “We will have to sell some players before making any more signings as we’re at the limit of our salary cap, however, we will continue to strengthen the squad until the transfer window shuts at the end of August.”
Pablo Torre is a talent waiting to be tapped as he looks to unleash all the promise he showed when he burst onto the scene for his Cantabrian home team Racing Santander in season 2020/21. He was a new diamond in the rough and was begging for a move to professional football at Barcelona. He comes from a footballing family as his dad, Esteban Torre, played for Racing Santander in the 1990s. Pablo’s natural position is in the classic attacking midfield role behind the striker, where hopefully he’ll roam menacingly behind enemy lines ! Torre’s resume says “He’s an attacking midfielder with great technique, the ability to play the killer pass and he possesses a powerful shot.”
He found game time at Barcelona difficult when players like Busquet were ruling the roost at the Nou Camp. In 2023/24 he was loaned out to Girona where he made 29 appearances, five as a starter. Again at Girona he was surrounded by top players like Savinho (now at Man. City). Torre managed more game time at Girona as he contributed in the Catalan side’s foray into the Champions League qualification.
He’s now arrived in Palma to show the potential that led him to Barcelona and he has a lot to prove. He’ll wear the No. 20 shirt which Chiquinho wore last season. Watching Torre and Sergi Darder operate in tandem in midfield should make for exciting viewing. If it’s half as exciting as I found watching the brilliant Jurassic World Rebirth last Sunday on a big screen, I’ll be well happy. Talk about “edge of the seat” stuff !
FINNISH GIANT
On Tuesday afternoon came some signing news that nobody apart from those close to Pablo Ortells knew was on the agenda – a new goalkeeper. The transfer window has suddenly opened wider for Real Mallorca. A lanky six-feet eight-inches tall, 22-year-old Finnish international goalkeeper, Lucas Bergstrom, became our second Summer signing and arrived without much attention despite his height which makes him one of the tallest players in top flight European football. He even makes Peter Crouch look small !!
After six years at Chelsea, where he was the eighth out of nine goalkeepers at Stamford Bridge, he was loaned out to English league one side Peterborough United where he made 28 appearances keeping nine clean sheets.
Bergstrom’s signing means that our No. 1 keeper Dominik Greif will probably be moving to pastures new. That scenario looked even more likely on Wednesday when the club announced 24-year-old Ibizan-born goalkeeper Leo Roman has signed a new deal keeping him here until 2030. Leo looks like he may well be in the Spanish national squad sooner than later, after two blinding games against Barcelona and Real Madrid last season made headlines all over Spain.
AND FINALLY, after a hot, steamy night of mad passionate love, a man notices a photo of another man on the woman’s bedside table and he begins to worry. “Is this your husband ?” he nervously asks. “No, silly,” she replies snuggling up to him. “Your boyfriend then ?” he ventures. “No, not at all” she says nibbling away at his ear. “Is it your dad or your brother then ?” he continues. “No, no, no ! You are so hot when you’re jealous” she tells him. “Well, who the devil is he then ?” he demands to know. She whispers in his ear “That’s me before the surgery !”