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Can Ferran Torres resolve Manchester City striker problem?

Can Ferran Torres resolve Manchester City striker problem?
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When Sergio Aguero left the Etihad Stadium for Barcelona at the end of last season, it looked as though Manchester City would spend big to bring in a world-class striker.

After all, Aguero left for Spain as the club’s all-time leading scorer, having netted 260 goals in 390 games for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Although Man City have coped for lengthy periods without a recognised No. 9, there is a sense that Guardiola needs another striker in his ranks.

After failing to lure Harry Kane to the Etihad, Gabriel Jesus is currently the club’s sole striker option. But what about Ferran Torres?

The 21-year-old Spaniard has started the new campaign in impressive form, bagging two goals and one assist in the opening three Premier League games.

Despite being labelled as a winger, Torres’ clever movement and smart finishing makes him a genuine candidate for the vacant Man City striker role.

The former Valencia star ended the previous campaign in eye-catching fashion, too, netting six goals across the final six league matches.

After finding the back of the net against Leeds United and Aston Villa, he notched a superb hat-trick against Newcastle United to cap off a solid debut season.

Torres’ record for Man City currently stands at 15 goals and four assists in 40 appearances, indicating that he’s got what it takes to lead the line for Guardiola’s team.

At international level, Torres has netted nine goals in 19 outings for Spain, underlining his hunger to get one the scoresheet.

He scored a hat-trick in Spain’s famous 6-0 thrashing of Germany back in November 2020 before adding a further two goals to his tally at the European Championship.

Of course, we all know that Guardiola loves to tinker with his team, experimenting with innovative formations and tactics on a regular basis.

City also have multiple players who can lead the line when required, with Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, and Jesus all capable of adapting.

However, if Torres continues to make clever runs and score goals on a regular basis, we could see him leading the line more often.

At 21, he still has plenty of time to develop his game and flourish into a top striker. Under Guardiola’s watch, he is certainly in the right place to do just that.

Premier League
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
Arsenal 83 36 26 5 5 60
2
Manchester City 82 35 25 7 3 54
3
Liverpool 78 36 23 9 4 43
4
Aston Villa 67 36 20 7 9 20
5
Tottenham 60 35 18 6 11 11
6
Newcastle United 56 35 17 5 13 22
7
Chelsea 54 35 15 9 11 11
8
Manchester United 54 35 16 6 13 -3
9
West Ham 49 36 13 10 13 -14
10
Bournemouth 48 36 13 9 14 -11
11
Brighton 47 35 12 11 12 -4
12
Wolverhampton 46 36 13 7 16 -11
13
Fulham 44 36 12 8 16 -4
14
Crystal Palace 43 36 11 10 15 -8
15
Everton 37 36 12 9 15 -11
16
Brentford 36 36 9 9 18 -8
17
Nottingham Forest 29 36 8 9 19 -18
18
Luton Town 26 36 6 8 22 -29
19
Burnley 24 36 5 9 22 -35
20
Sheffield United 16 36 3 7 26 -65

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