Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is utilising his knowledge from his time as understudy to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, and has identified a former star of the club to bolster his ranks.
Having coached Ferran Torres at the Etihad Stadium before the 22-year-old signed for Barcelona in a £55m deal just under a year ago, the Gunners boss is now reportedly looking to issue a seismic swoop for his Spanish compatriot.
According to German outlet Bild earlier this week, Torres has been identified as a potential replacement for Arsenal centre-forward Gabriel Jesus, who has been ruled out for several months following a knee injury sustained at the World Cup in Qatar with Brazil.
Huge Nelson upgrade
While Torres may not be the most conventional replacement for someone of Jesus’ talismanic presence, he could certainly offer an additional layer to Arsenal’s offensive drive.
This season for Barcelona, the 22-year-old has plundered five goals and one assist from 18 appearances, playing a regular role in a resurgent team who are chasing the La Liga title, having won 12 of their first 14 league matches of the campaign to sit top of the table.
The Spaniard possesses a slick, direct approach to his role on the right flank which would serve Arsenal well in the battle to maintain attacking fluidity.
As per FBRef, Torres ranks within the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for total shots, while he is also in the top 6% for progressive passes received.
Effectively, his knack for making darting runs into the box, serving as an inside forward or inverted winger, would provide Arteta with the fresh dimension needed to aid the Gunners in their tantalising pursuit of Premier League glory.
With the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson currently filling the role of utility attacking option at the Emirates Stadium, Torres would be a huge upgrade on the pair, one who could be the difference between a valiant second-placed finish and a formidably-maintained charge to the Premier League title.
It’s not as if he hasn’t demonstrated his capabilities in England’s top-flight before, with the “world-class” phenomenon scoring nine goals and providing three assists from 28 appearances in the division during his time at City, also winning the title in 2020/21 under Guardiola.
Nelson, who only has six goals and six assists from 55 outings for the north London giants, has proven his worth on occasion, but his goal record does not stand up to Torres.
The Spaniard’s prospective signing would likely prove to be a further step in the right direction for Arsenal, who might just be onto something special under Arteta.
