Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly prioritized the signing of Ferran Torres from Valencia in the upcoming transfer window as Leroy Sane looks set to depart from Etihad during the same according to Calcio Napoli.
There have been several high-profile names like Adama Traore, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman linked with a move to the blue side of Manchester as a replacement of the departing German. But it looks like after all the rumours, City’s Spanish coach has finally taken a stance on who could fill in the dynamic boots of the soon to be sold winger.
Ferran Torres is likely to cost the Premier League champions somewhere around £44.9 million but looking at City’s financial stability, that should not be a much of a headache.
There are reports that the transfer window will be expanded till October which gives City enough time to lock the deal for a young performer like Torres.
Ferran Torres: Good option for Pep?
Manchester City already have three brilliant options on the wings in the form of Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling, all three of who could find a place in most top clubs in Europe at the moment. While Mahrez has been brilliant for City this season, Bernardo has failed to live up to the standards set by the player himself and also Guardiola off late and has often found himself on the bench while Sterling has also seen a startling drop in form since December.
Both Bernardo and Mahrez are left-footed players who like to cut inside and create problems for the opposition side’s left-back. Leroy Sane was almost exclusively used on the left and while their styles are completely different, Torres being a right-footed footballer could easily cement his place on the left-wing after the departure of Sane.
He rightly matches the attacking threat Guardiola expects his forward players to possess and he has proven himself even in a down-going Valencia side. The 20-year-old has netted 6 times and managed 7 assists across all competitions for Valencia this season which not a bad figure considering the Spanish club’s disastrous season.
Ferran Torres, at the age of 20, also has the much-needed Champions League experience which is an added bonus at his age. Under the gaffer, who is known to produce world-class offensive players, Torres would be expected to develop a lot and get opportunities to sharpen his skills. The attacking midfielder could be a long-term option for City due to his age and is likely to raise the level of competition on the wings.
On the whole, Guardiola should not think twice before making a move for the youngster who will also solidify the depth in the squad and is unlikely to be seen just as a ‘Leroy Sane replacement’ as he could be a part of the dynamic should City lose any more of their sparkling wingers in the coming transfer windows.