Ferran Torres
It’s hard to explain a player like Ferran Torres.
No matter how many people doubt him, the Barcelona forward finds a way to do just enough to keep his place on the field, regardless of the manager in charge.
After struggling to impress at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, Xavi asked for Ferran as his first signing when he became the Blaugrana manager in January of 2022. The price was 55 million euros plus 10 million in add ons.
Was this a good deal of business by Barcelona? Probably not in hingsight. It’s hard to see them doing it again if they were given a mulligan. Ferran came in as a winger, but never found his footing. Under Hansi Flick, however, he was converted full time to a center forward, and has rekindled his instincts as a “shark” with an eye for goal.
Across 45 games last season, 19 of which he started, Ferran scored 19 goals and recorded 7 assists, which adds up to a goal contribution every 73 minutes.
Flick trusts Ferran, but the question going forward is to what extent.
Barcelona has already signed Anthony Gordon this summer, which was surprising in large part because a center forward seems be the bigger area of need.
According to Joan Laporta and Deco, there’s more business to be done.
At the moment, Ferran has one year left on his contract, but it’s likely to be extended soon. After last season, his value has certainly gone up, and that’s great news for Barcelona.
Will his future be at the Camp Nou, or could another club come calling? What role could this World Cup play in that outcome?
Under Luis de la Fuente, Spain does not have a lot of truly good striker options. Ferran is going to play, and given what we’ve seen from him while wearing la roja, I’d expect him to score goals.
Coming out of a World Cup, clubs tend to get excited, and that leads to more checks being written. A month from now, Ferran may be a hot commodity if he performs well.
If so, Hansi Flick and Barcelona will have a lot to think about. Could he be the starting center forward next season now that Robert Lewandowski is gone? How much would they be willing to spend on bringing in a new striker?
One thing we know for sure, the World Cup has the power to shake things up, and Ferran will be one of the top players to pay attention to as the games are played.
Barcelona have an important summer ahead of them. The buying and selling has just begun.
The World Cup may be fun for us fans, but for Barcelona, the office will be buzzing with activity.
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