Torres already showing signs he will fit right in with the way Guardiola and Blues play
ADAPTING to a Pep Guardiola team can take time and effort – just ask Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva, or Joao Cancelo.
Those three arrived at City in the last four years and were protected from the first team for the best part of a year until it was felt that they had adequately learned what is expected of them in games and in training sessions. And while Sane may have had limited first-team experience when he arrived but the other two came to the Etihad as important figures in title-winning sides.
City’s quality in every position allows for this integration time – it is also why players like Rodri deserve credit for stepping straight into their role and learning on the job – and Ferran Torres will certainly have time on his side when he joins from Valencia in a £21m deal. The 20-year-old winger will have Bernardo, Riyad Mahrez, and potentially also Phil Foden for competition out on the right wing that Guardiola will have no trouble playing regularly.
The relatively low price-tag will also help downplay expectations. Torres is closer in valuation to what United paid for Daniel James than what City paid for Sane back in 2016, and a quarter of what Crystal Palace want for Wilfried Zaha. While his contract and Valencia’s situation may have helped the Blues drive such a bargain, the smaller price on his head will help the new signing avoid greater scrutiny.
From what he has said though, Torres already sounds like an ideal fit for Guardiola.
In a wide-ranging interview talking
about his character and development, the youngster ticked an awful lot of boxes that make it sound like he may have a chance of hitting the ground running at the Etihad – staying grounded with the help of good friends and people around him, staying on the training pitch for longer than everyone else to improve, learning languages, especially English, learning different positions to be able to contribute to the team in different ways, matching the arrogance of wanting to be best and being unashamed to make comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo with the humility to know the hard work and dedication that is required to reach the top.
Torres may not single-handedly turn City into champions again next season, and may need time before he can play regularly for the team.
However, the work that the recruitment team puts into bringing in the right people as much as footballers looks to have paid off with the Spain prospect.
The more traits the player shares with Guardiola, the easier the manager’s job will be to integrate his new signing and see him flourish.