Ferran Torres: An indisputable starter despite everything

At a Barcelona where you can count untouchable players on one hand, Ferran Torres is one of them. He arrived for 55m euros in the last winter window as an express petition of Xavi. He signed on until 2027 and was given a 1 billion euro release clause, showing Barcelona’s confidence in him is absolute.

His first months at the club have been bitter sweet. Ferran Torres has been involved in some of the classic debates around the club, some of which are excessively toxic or magnified. Maybe some of the expectations have weighed on him, and he’s been judged for not scoring enough goals even though he’s never been a Messi, Cristiano, Benzema, Suarez or the like.

However he does have goals in his boots. Guardiola knew it at Man City and made him a false nine, closer to the box to take advantage of his shot.

He said recently that Ferran will shine at Barcelona when the team also improves. “He’s got some great numbers. The level of the players depends on the level of the team. If the team doesn’t do well, the players seem worse. When the team plays well and finds consistency, Torres will too.”

Xavi has already praised him too. “He’s a footballer on another level, spectacular,” said the coach. “How he understands the space, associates with team-mates, doesn’t lose the ball, he’s a world class player. He was a fantastic signing and a marvel of a player.”

Torres has played 18 games in La Liga, starting 17 of them. He has netted four goals in the top flight and seven in total.

Xavi’s Barcelona under construction demands him to be a bit more frequent with his goals. Lewandowski’s arrival could see him play on the right, where he does with Spain. Luis Enrique also considers him a key man. He started against Portugal in the Nations League and came on against the Czech Republic, helping Spain improve. Nobody doubts he will be at the World Cup.