Deco wants Julian Alvarez. Joao Pedro is the backup. The club’s #1 priority this summer is to bring in a new striker.
However, as Barcelona fans discuss which expensive signing should join the club, Ferran Torres has silently enjoyed one of the most prolific goal scoring campaigns of his career.
At 26, with a contract at the club until 2027 and a market value of €46.9 million, Torres deserves a realistic discussion about who he is and if Barcelona really need to explore options elsewhere.
The numbers this season
Across 31 appearances and 1,865 minutes of La Liga action, Torres has bagged 16 goals. In all competitions he's had 21 goals. But let’s look at his shooting data for more context:
- 67 shots taken, 36 on target - 54% accuracy.
- 13.07 expected goals (xG) and 12.34 expected goals on target (xGOT) - He shoots well, not just often.
- 89th percentile for shots for forwards
- 94th percentile for goals for forwards
- 119 touches inside the opposition penalty box
via~ Fotmob
Torres has consistently over-performed his xG, which cannot just be attributed to luck. It is a clear sign of a player who is in the correct positions and putting the ball in the back of the net when needed.
The form is clear
The last six weeks of the season may well have been Torres' best period of his career at Barcelona:
- vs Espanyol: 2 goals
- vs Atletico Madrid (second leg): 1 goal, 1 assist
- vs Osasuna: 1 goal
Five goals in four high-profile games in the business end of the season. When Barcelona needed goals with Yamal out injured, without Raphinha, without Lewandowski from the start, Torres stepped up.
He is not a backup number nine with his numbers; he is a striker who has proven that he can carry the team in defining matches.
Areas where he has grown immensely
His link-up play is his biggest improvement. Previously Torres used to disappear from games when not directly involved in attacks, but this season, he is holding the line better and dropping deeper into pockets to receive passes.
His movement in particular helps create space for the players around him, and against Atletico in the second leg, his run and finish was a clear example of a striker understanding positioning at a higher level.
His record of 25 aerial duels won at a success rate of 58.1% is surprisingly good for a player who does not consider himself a traditional number nine.
What he still frustrates
Torres' first touch continues to be a problem at the elite level. He loses possession at crucial moments against teams who press intensely, and these instances have cost Barcelona in big Champions League moments.
His 30.4% dribble success rate is also too low for a forward. He takes 23 dribbles and completes 7. By comparison, Fermin Lopez who's also considered average in terms of dribbling, completes his dribbles at a rate of 56.8%.
This is a clear disadvantage if Flick plans for him to beat his man in transition. His defensive contribution statistics also put him in the 4th percentile, the worst of all the forwards in the first team.
An honest assessment
Torres may not be the heir to Lewandowski in terms of style. He is not dominant in the air, he does not hold up the ball with a similar level of strength or assurance under pressure, and his first touch at the top level still needs work, but his goal numbers and recent performances speak volumes.
While Alvarez is an expensive, but viable option for Barcelona, and Joao Pedro is another option for a lot of money, Torres is already at the club and in the system. Selling him to fund another transfer or allowing his contract to expire as he languishes on the bench would be the wrong way to deal with the evolution of his game.
If the perfect striker becomes available, he becomes a backup number nine. Lewandowski is set to leave the club this summer, and if no new striker arrives, he has proven that he can be the focal point of the attack in a title-winning side.
In either case, he is deserving of more respect than he is currently getting in Barcelona's transfer plans.
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