Even though his rather short stint at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City wouldn’t suggest it, Ferran Torres is still one of the most talented young players on the planet. Of course, potential alone doesn’t guarantee future stardom but the foundations of a great player are here already. Barcelona, fortunately, have recognised that on time and were given a rare opportunity to (re)claim the ex-Valencia man after missing out on his signature a couple of years back.
And Valencia indeed played a huge part in his development. Born and raised in their city, Torres spent time as a prodigy in their academy and then as the star player both in the B and senior team alike before securing a lucrative transfer that would take him to the Premier League. At that time, the reported fee of ~€20M seemed like a bargain and while Barcelona had to pay more than double to secure him now, it still feels like a good, if not a slightly high price for someone of his potential.
In the right hands, Torres could take the next step. And Xavi is the type of coach to make proper use of the 21-year-old’s arsenal, just as Pep and Luis Enrique are too. Sadly, injuries played a part in both of their plans but the latter will still continue reaping the rewards of Torres’ development, just as Xavi could too.