Ferran Torres has scored five goals in his last five games and is looking more and more like Barcelona’s next great forward.
It wasn’t so long ago that Ferran Torres lacked a clear role at Barcelona. He was one of many players the Catalans surely would have let go had a suitable offer come in. Raphinha was also in this category. Of course, Raphinha has since more than proved himself as a Barca player with Torres now doing the same.
The former Manchester City attacker has scored five goals in his last five games. Even when Torres failed to find the back of the net against Real Betis on Saturday, he registered an assist, threading through Gavi for a neat finish. Even as part of the most prolific forward line in Europe, the 25-year-old is standing out.
Perhaps the biggest show of faith in Torres came last week when Hansi Flick opted to start him over Robert Lewandowski against Atlético Madrid. With a place in the Copa del Rey final on the line, Torres was trusted to lead the line, delivering the game-winning moment to ultimately decide the semi-final.
Flick’s style of play has been good for Torres. The German wants Barcelona to attack with fluidity. He wants verticality and interchangeability between positions and this is where Torres has thrived. While the 25-year-old hasn’t always been a starter over the course of the campaign, he has made excellent use of his minutes on the pitch.
Only Lewandowski and Raphinha have scored more goals for Barcelona this season than Torres. Under Xavi Hernández, the Spaniard was expected to play within a relatively rigid positional framework. This season, though, Torres has been permitted more freedom to find space in between the lines.
Torres is an intelligent forward who gives Barcelona genuine incisiveness in front of goal. The 25-year-old rarely takes more than one or two touches inside the penalty box. He is quick to get his shot away and this frequently catches opposition defenders and goalkeepers cold. At times, his attacking play is reminiscent of David Villa’s.
Of course, Torres isn’t an orthodox centre forward. He has played on the left and right of Barcelona’s forward line this season. Torres has deputised for Lewandowski when the Pole has been rotated out of the lineup, but he is an attacker who prefers to hold a slightly wider starting position.
This could see Torres keep his place in the lineup as Barcelona fight for a Treble in LaLiga, the Champions League and Copa del Rey. A frontline of Lewandowski, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Torres could be what Flick settles on to get his team over the line on three fronts. They could provide the firepower Barca need.
As prolific as Lewandowski has been this season, he is well into the twilight of his career. At 36, Barcelona must consider the future after the Polish striker. Indeed, the Catalans have been linked with several forwards including Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres, Jonathan David and Samu Aghehowa.
If the last few years have taught Barcelona anything, though, it’s that the best solutions can often be found within the club. Torres didn’t come through La Masia like so many of his teammates, but he has absorbed the principles of the Catalan club to the point he embodies ‘Barca-ball’ as well as anyone else in Flick’s squad.
Barcelona have walked a tightrope at times this season. Their approach is high risk. Flick wants his defence to play on the halfway line. He likes Barca to play with intensity on both sides of the ball. When the Catalans move into the attack, they do so with speed and intent. There have been periods, however, when the whole approach has nearly fallen in on itself.
That could still happen over the final few weeks of the season. Barcelona’s weaknesses are well-known by now and they will face some of the best teams in Europe in the latter rounds of the Champions League. It might only take an off-night or two in front of goal for Barca’s campaign to collapse around them. Fatigue could also hit them hard at some point – there were already signs of this against Real Betis.
In Torres, though, Barcelona have someone who could give them something different for seasons to come. Xavi never fully understood him as a player, nor did Pep Guardiola who allowed Torres to leave Manchester City after just one full season. Flick, however, is proving to be a key figure in his development. Torres’ entire career outlook is very different now.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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