Currently sitting in 7th position in the La Liga and out of the Champions League, FC Barcelona is in desperate need of some brilliance if they still wish to fight for the remaining part of the season. After selling Luis Suárez in 2020 for absolutely free, the Catalans are/were in search of a striker or someone to finish their sequences. This problem is still very visible for the Blaugranas despite signing players like Memphis Depay & Luuk de Jong.
Hence, the signing of Ferran Torres from Manchester City completely makes sense. Is he someone who can solve the problems for the Catalans? Is he someone who can play as a striker and score those half-chances? Do his abilities justify the €55M price tag of him especially for an already in dept club like Barcelona that has a poor history of failed transfers?
Playing Profile
Ferran has played in a variety of roles under former manager Pep Guardiola and Spanish National Team Coach — Luiz Enrique. Whether being played wide on the right or as a striker for Manchester City or sometimes as a Left-Winger for Spanish National Team, Ferran has given promising performances from time to time. His role when played up front is generally not been of a target-man but has still given his tendency to get on the receiving end of those balls.
There is quite clearly a discourse around the position he will play under Xavi. His affinity for making sharp movements which will be dissected inside this piece in a while is what makes him a big asset for any side. Like Pep says, he has “that smell” for the ball and hence can make a lot of difference given his qualities.
Pressing
From in to out
Under Pep, it was common for Ferran to shift inside and pinch his side pivot when the ball was on the far-side. This cut direct access to that pivot. Once, the opposition tried to circulate to the other side (his side), he would sprint to the ball holder. This reduced the ball-holder (usually a center-back or an auxiliary Full-Back) time on the ball and also the direct lane into the pivot was under his cover-shadow.
From out-to-in
In the last 365 days, Ferran has 7.47 pressures per 90 in the attacking 3rd which is 91st percentile on FBref. A lot of these are forcing the opponent into difficult angles, cutting access to the wide player with another player cutting access to the central player. It’s interesting to see how coordinated he is with his teammates while pressing in these instances. Add to that, Ferran rarely overcommits while pressing with a well-balanced body shape.
Defensive Work
Like said above, Ferran’s well-balanced body shape allows him to rarely overcommit to the opponent. This adds a flavor of unpredictability for the opponent. Seems like his tendency is to be as closer to the opponent as possible to have a clear angle to apply pressure.
Technique for Cover Shadowing
When he distant against the ball carrier, he refrains from applying pressure and tries to cut access to a player using his cover shadow. His technique is to keep his hips out while static and direct the carrier to one side by a sharp run into the carrier. This technique of him by keeping his hips out and staying low to the ground distributes his momentum giving his legs more control and in turn more area for him to cover.
Dropping
Supporting teammates to create a numerical advantage was essential in his role in City especially when deployed up top. Whilst facing back to goal and dropping he can create an imbalance in the opposition’s shape. One of the major pros for Ferran when he drops is that he is able to scan his surroundings and drop almost simultaneously and hence can easily make adjustments as required. This like mentioned before can create severe imbalances for the opposition
Once he would receive particularly in the middle third, depending on the amount of pressure and the opposition shape, he would usually play it to the nearby player who wasn’t accessible from the previous ball holder. So essentially, him dropping to help the Full-Back who was not accessible by the Centre-Back is a common theme. The Full-Back of course also is the trigger for many teams to press and regain the ball. After playing it to the unaccessible player, the Spaniard retrieves back to his position or makes a run into the box for a possible cross.
Dropping & Receiving Under Pressure
It is imperative that whenever he makes such movements, he always remains ball-facing with his back towards the goal. In this process, he can also attract pressure from the opposition players. Once he receives, it becomes hard for him to control the momentum of the ball with his feet. To compensate, he takes multiple touches to control the ball and then plays into space with his teammate. Even receiving in a static position (2nd video below), he can take many touches when pressured heavily by the opposition. So maybe there is a lack or maybe less “pre-determined thought” while under heavy pressure. By pre-determined thought, I mean the natural instinct for a player before performing an action. This is not a critique but something which is not very well developed in him as of yet.
With all that said, his intelligence is absolutely very high compared to others of his same age group. Like in the below video, the opposition man-marked City and cut access to them. Ferran dropped to offer himself a passing lane and allowed City to penetrate deep and eventually score the goal.
Final Third Threat
For me, Ferran is a classic Spanish Forward profile. His movements, linkup, and constant movements are what make him absolutely joy to watch. When deployed as a center-forward and hence playing more centrally, his relentlessness to be on the receiving end of the passes is even more visible.
Combinative Play
Ferran has a high affinity to run into the FB-CB channel once he plays into a player. This way he can create dilemmas in the last line for the markers. His diagonal run starts as soon as he releases the ball which is sometimes a bit early giving the defenders the extra time for the decision. More often than not, these runs are to be made exactly when releasing the ball so he ends up getting a good result out of it.
Decoy Movements
Ferran has a sharp eye for decoy runs. If found inaccessible, the 21-year-old has a tendency to make movements intending to drag his marker usually wide. This would free up the central space for another teammate to receive. This again illustrates perfectly the intelligence possessed by the Spaniard. In Barcelona, we can imagine this complementing players like Memphis Depay and Ansu Fati who can make the opposition vulnerable in such instances.
Box Threat
The Ferran Run
Once operating on the shoulders of the opposite marker, it's imperative that the attacker has very little space hence time on the ball. When receiving, in such cases he has not much to show which is already been touched upon. However, he makes these sharp turns catching the marker out of surprise and running in behind. This allows him to receive in space in an advanced territory for a possible chance.
Box Movements for Crosses
Ferran has a recurring tendency to attack the near post. He usually starts his move like he is jogging and then accelerate if needed towards the near post. These can also work as dragging his marker creating space for his own teammates. For his far post target, he usually refrains from running and can hold his position for a possible rebound. There is always an acceleration and sometimes accompanied by a sharp change in direction to catch his marker off-guard.
Blindside Movements
For making blindside runs, it is necessary to time the run perfectly. Too gives the defender time to adjust or too fast might get you caught offside. In Ferran’s case, he falls in the category somewhere between being just a bit early (I feel) to the correct. However, his acceleration usually compensates which usually nullifies the very little the defender would have normally. As for positioning which is to be on the blind spot usually behind the marker, he does that exceptionally well.
Running in Behind
Ferran is quite fast when running both with and without the ball. Here again, it’s his change of pace that gives him an advantage over the opposite player(s). After receiving, he slows down and looks for a teammate to play into. Even though he has a very good dribbling technique, he usually chooses to pass into others intending a better situation to score/penetrate.
Finishing in the Box
When in the box especially when waiting for a pass to tap into, the 21-year-old has this natural instinct to get into the receiving end of these chances. His willingness to move and investigate the correct path to score a tap-in is what will make him a lethal aspect of Xavi's side.
Looking at his shot map (above), it's clear he takes a lot of high-value shots and hence has accumulated 0.46 open play xG in the last 365 days (via FBref). His box movements especially on the far-post are a vital aspect allowing him to get the better of his marker.
Scoring Half-Chances
Ferran is not someone who is hesitant to take shots from difficult angles. His both footedness is something which aids him in this area. Hence, he takes a lot of shots from the edge of the box and tests the keeper. He is still not the very best to score maybe because he is not that developed yet but the eagerness is definitely there and might help the Catalans in the future.
My Opinions
So first of all, I think looking at Barça's history of failed transfers the price tag of €55M is definitely a bit too much to pay to add to that the financial situation at the club. But also looking at his potential you feel that he is just way too promising.
Currently, Barça is struggling in a lot of departments of one such is scoring from good sequences of play. Despite the position, the Spaniard with all his capabilities will offer a worldly difference for the Xavi's side. I am reluctant to start him as a striker initially but that's where it appears to be he will shine later and hopefully. We might also see him being played on the Left which is where former Barcelona Coach and current Spanish National Team Coach-- Luiz Enrique played him in his Spain side. Ferran with his counterparts like Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay, Ez Abde and hopefully Ousmane Dembélé will definitely be interesting to watch.
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