Ferran Torres was an unused substitute in Barcelona’s 0-0 draw with Raya Vallecano on Saturday, failing to come off the bench despite the Catalans struggling to score, so he might wonder what his role in the side will be this season.
The 22-year-old was dropped by Xavi as Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha got the nod on opposing flanks, but five substitutions were used in the game and Torres somehow wasn’t one of the players introduced. Instead, Xavi turned to Ansu Fati and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, so is his decision to leave City backfiring?
Where will Manchester City finish in the Premier League this season?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th or lower
Torres joined City from Valencia for an initial £20.8m in 2020 and he went on to make 43 appearances in all competitions, scoring 16 goals with four assists. But after wanting out midway into his second season, the Spanish international was sold to Barcelona for an initial £46.7m.
He’s gone on to make 25 appearances across the board, scoring six goals with six assists, but Torres is enduring a goal drought of late and no longer holds down a starting place. He’s gone 10 La Liga games without scoring and six games without an assist, so Xavi is giving Dembele and new-boy Raphinha a chance.
And if Fati and Aubameyang are preferred ahead of Torres too, it’s hard to see when he’ll get playing time this season. He had a bright start to life at Barca with four goals and three assists from eight games but has gone cold ever since.
In other news, Pep Guardiola makes right decision on Issa Kabore