Ferran Torres is proving why Barcelona transfer was right for both him and Man City

So much has happened recently that Ferran Torres' transfer from Manchester City to Barcelona feels like it happened a lifetime ago, not barely two-and-a-half months ago.

The 16 months the young Spaniard spent at the Etihad Stadium will likely be remembered as a mixed bag. After understandably taking a while to settle in during a pandemic-hit first season at the club, Ferran showed a lot of potential earlier when Pep Guardiola started deploying him as a number nine.

But just as City fans were starting to imagine a future with the 21-year-old as their striker he decided to leave, lured back to Spain by the promise of helping restore a European giant to the top table after years of decline.

In the months since his £46.7m move, Torres has shown why City were desperate to keep him, but also why ultimately they shouldn't feel too bad about letting him go.

On Sunday evening the former Valencia attacker scored a first-half brace as Barca eased to a 4-0 win against Osasuna at Camp Nou, a win that continued their impressive resurgence in recent months.

Deployed by manager Xavi on the left side of a front three, Torres dispatched an early penalty with an impressive air of calmness, before he exhibited his natural striking instincts by slotting the ball through the goalkeeper's legs to double Barca's advantage.

His clinical performance means that Torres has scored five goals and assisted three more in 12 matches for his new employers, not bad going considering he joined a club still embroiled in uncertainty and turmoil halfway through the season.

However, it has not all been plain sailing. It took the 21-year-old five outings to score his first league goal, a run during which he generally played well but seemed to lose confidence