Ferran Torres is probably the only person in the world who is tired of seeing Lamine Yamal.
After the incredibly talented 16-year-old took his place at Barcelona, Torres is now behind Yamal in the pecking order for Spain.
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This is one of the reasons why cash-strapped Barça might be tempted to make money off the former Manchester City striker this summer.
But as La Roja and their reserves effortlessly defeated Albania to finish 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 Düsseldorf was absolutely precise: a perfectly timed run, a perfectly weighted pass from Dani Olmo and a perfectly placed finish.
While the Albanians may have regained their level after briefly troubling Italy and somehow taking a point from Croatia, it was shocking to see how strong Spain’s line-up was at Euro 2024.
Torres then left the game and was replaced by Yamal in the 72nd minute, much to the delight of the Spanish fans.
This was the only time they could be heard, despite Albania’s deafening support.
The prodigy had more influence in four minutes than Torres had in the 58 minutes since his first goal.
But two brilliant moments decided the game: first from Olmo and then from Torres.
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Ironically, RB Leipzig star Olmo could also move this summer after hinting at a return to the Nou Camp earlier this month.
Reports in Spain suggest that Torres wants to stay and fight for his place, but it is difficult to imagine the Catalans improving a team that finished ten points behind Real Madrid without selling valuable substitutes.
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea were reported to be interested in Torres earlier this year, while more recently Newcastle and West Ham have also been linked with a possible transfer of the Spaniard.
Both the Magpies and Hammers are in the market for a striker – and Torres may have put himself in the spotlight with his beautiful goal on Monday night.
New West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is said to be an admirer of Torres and West Ham are desperately looking for a striker who can contribute alongside Jarrod Bowen.
He won’t be cheap: Barca are understood to want to recoup most of the £47 million they paid Man City in 2021, some of which is still unpaid.
And that seems steep for a player who is currently in the shadow of a 16-year-old.
But perhaps the genius of Yamal, who technically violated German labor law by working after 11pm local time in Düsseldorf, made everyone forget that Torres has what it takes to win.
And it’s the category that will surely put Premier League clubs on alert this summer.
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