Manchester City: What role will Ferran Torres play next season?

As Manchester City’s designated replacement for Leroy Sané, there has been near universal praise for Ferran Torres.

Given the internal turmoil at Valencia, Manchester City were able to acquire Ferran Torres, one of Spanish football’s brightest prospects, on a very cheap deal given today’s market. Now, the question shifts to what role he will play in his first season at the Etihad.

Playing at the level of Manchester City and Pep Guardiola after such a quick turnaround given the Coronavirus delay will be extremely difficult. Therefore, I believe Torres will be eased into the action, and if he performs well, will gradually lock down more regular starting minutes. Toward the end of his City career, whether it was through injury or other off-field issues, Sané often did not feature, so City are equipped to ease Torres into the team.

However, I do believe that this is not just a signing for the bench, but for the first team. Although Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva are top players, and Phil Foden has even shown himself capable out wide, I believe given Torres’ talent, there is a real chance he could lock down a starting position. It will not be easy, and there will be frequent rotation between wingers, but I believe City could have found another shining young talent in the wake of losing Sané.

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Therefore, I believe the team will go back to a fluid, frequent rotation out wide based on form and fitness, and that Torres will fit into that equation. Given the signing, questions remain surrounding star academy talent Jayden Braaf’s future, which is undoubtedly a worry given what occurred with Jadon Sancho. I believe Guardiola must prioritize Braaf’s development and happiness with the club, even if that means giving less time to players like Torres, whom he clearly likes. For the long-term health of the club, City must hang on to their own.

Therefore, I believe it is in the best interest of the team for Bernardo Silva to move into midfield full-time along with Foden as the two compete to replace David Silva and start next to Kevin de Bruyne. This would give City a four-winger rotation of Raheem Sterling, Mahrez, Torres, and Braaf. This gives City great depth in multiple areas of the team, prioritizes academy talent, and gives Torres a direct path to first team football in the event of poor form or injury to Mahrez or Sterling.

In total, I believe Torres will be a brilliant player for years to come for City. It may start slowly, but he should feature regularly and help the team as the season builds. He will be looking to make his mark and earn a spot in Spain’s Euro 2021 team, and I see a very bright future for the 20-year old winger.