Ferran Torres set for El Clasico debut - but is he ready to lead the line for Barca?

Stefan Bienkowski

• 12 Jan 2022 09:58 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona will be up against it tonight when they take on Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of 2022.

Not only will Xavi’s side be missing some key players, like Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati, but he’ll also be proceeding over a team that have managed just four wins from their last 10 games.

Standing in their way of a spot in the Spanish Super Cup final are a Madrid side that are not only sitting comfortably at the top of La Liga but have also won all but two of their last 15 games.

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However, Barca may have a hidden ace up their sleeve in the form of new signing Ferran Torres, who was finally registered by the club this week and is now fit enough to feature in the upcoming derby.

So how reliable is Barca’s new €55 million striker and is he ready to take on the weight of responsibility that comes with every striker at this club?

Could Torres turn the tide for Barca?

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Torres is that despite Manchester City and then Barca spending a remarkable amount of money the young forward doesn’t actually have much of a proven goalscoring record to date.

For example, at Valencia the young forward managed just nine goals and 12 assists in a total of 97 appearances for the club. Of course, much of that is down to him developing as a youth player and making substitute appearances, but even in his final season with the Spanish side, Torres only managed six goals and eight assists in 44 games - or an average of 0.40 goals or assists per 90 minutes.

To the young player’s credit, Torres did develop into a better goal scorer at Man City as he became a vital option off the bench for Pep Guardiola’s side. In 43 appearances for the Premier League giants, the Spaniard bagged 16 goals and five assists. And his average per 90 shot up to 0.71.

However, it still remains the case that over the course of his (admittedly short career) Torres has neer managed more than seven goals in a single league season. And if he is to go on and become Barca’s go-to talisman, he’ll be taking on a level of responsibility that he’s never had to contend with before.