Premier League clubs should be on red alert as Ferran Torres emerges from Lamine Yamal's shadow
Ferran Torres must be the only person in the world sick of looking at Lamine Yamal.
After having your Barcelona Since he was snatched away by the wildly talented 16-year-old, Torres also finds himself behind Yamal in Spain's pecking order.
It is one of the reasons why cash-strapped Barça could be tempted to cash in on the former. city of manchester forward this summer.
But when La Roja beat Albania with its second-string team to complete the group stage with a perfect record, Torres reminded everyone that he, too, is still very useful.
The 24-year-old's decisive goal in Dusseldorf was clinical: a perfectly timed run, a perfectly weighted pass from Dani Olmo and a perfect finish.
While the Albanians perhaps found their level after briefly shaking down Italy and somehow getting a point from Croatia, Spain's strength in depth in Euro 2024 It was terrifying to see.
Torres disappeared from the match thereafter, and it was Yamal who replaced him in the 72nd minute, much to the delight of the Spanish faithful.
That was the only time they could be heard over the deafening Albanian support.
The wonderkid had more impact in four minutes than Torres did in the 58 minutes since he opened the scoring.
But the game was decided by two moments of quality, first from Olmo, and then from Torres.
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Ironically, RB Leipzig star Olmo could also be on the move this summer, having hinted at a return to Camp Nou earlier this month.
Reports in Spain claim that Torres wants to stay and fight for his place, but it is difficult to see how the Catalans improve a team that finished ten points behind Real Madrid without selling valuable fringe players.
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea were credited with a interest in towers earlier this year, while more recently, Newcastle and West Ham have been linked with a possible swoop for the Spaniard.
Both the Magpies and Hammers are looking for a striker, and Torres may have put himself in the shop window with his beautiful goal on Monday night.
New West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is believed to be an admirer of Torres and West Ham are desperate for a striker who can contribute alongside Jarrod Bowen.
It won't be cheap: Barça are understood to be willing to recoup most of the £47m they paid Manchester City in 2021, some of which remains unpaid.
And that seems expensive for a player who is currently stuck in the shadow of a 16-year-old.
But perhaps the brilliance of Yamal, who technically violated German labor laws by working past 11 p.m. local time in Dusseldorf, has made everyone forget that Torres has match-winning quality.
The kind that will no doubt put Premier League clubs on red alert this summer.
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