Barcelona coaches worried about misfiring forward’s state of mind

According to Javi Miguel of AS (h/t Barça Universal), Barcelona coaching staff are worried about the emotional state of star forward Ferran Torres.

The Spanish forward recently completed one year at Camp Nou, but has been unable to deliver to the level expected of him, following the club’s €55 million investment in him.

There have been signs of his quality and potential, but the former Valencia and Manchester City man has had problems with his finishing and has gradually dropped well down the pecking order at the club.

Torres has been overlooked by Xavi repeatedly of late, with the manager preferring Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele as his primary attacking options with Ansu Fati also gaining prominence.

The former Valencia ace did not start for Barça last night in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals against Real Betis.

But he did come on to replace Dembele in the second half. However, after being sent on, the 22-year-old struggled to make any sort of impact and was constantly losing possession, which in turn allowed the opponents to gain a greater foothold.

Furthermore, Xavi and his staff did not choose him for the penalty shootouts either, with Xavi revealing in his post-match presser that Marcos Alonso was the fifth penalty-taker for Barcelona last night.

This is an indicator of the way the coaching staff currently see Ferran, who had been handed penalty duties last season and was also one of the takers for the Spanish national team at the FIFA World Cup last year.

As per Javi Miguel, there is a serious concern regarding Torres and his emotional state among the club’s coaches. With the spotlight on him, the former Manchester City forward will need to pull up his socks and deliver on his potential in the coming months.

If not, there could be a possibility that Barça might listen to offers for him in the summer, given their fragile financial situation and his constant underwhelming displays.