Barcelona has a thin squad this season, but in two areas it does have depth to speak of. Unfortunately for young midfielder Pablo Torre, one of the areas where Hansi Flick has options is in creative midfielders who like to operate behind the first line.
Torre had a mixed loan spell at Girona last season, rarely getting more playing time than the occasional start here and there. However, after Xavi Hernández appeared to rule him out as a first-team option, Hansi Flick has given the 21-year-old much more shine after a series of promising performances in pre-season.
However, the return of injured players, such as Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López, has made it difficult for Torre to get minutes. In the summer, Barcelona opened the door to a loan move for Torre, but he decided to stay and fight for his place. So far his contributions have also been good, with 4 goals and 3 assists in his 11 appearances this season. However, those appearances add up to just 361 minutes, giving him an average of a goal contribution every 52 minutes.
The fact is that their opportunities remain few and far between. With the exception of his appearances in the Copa del Rey, Torre has not played since the end of November and has only started four times, leading to talk of a possible loan. Getafe were linked with Torre early in the transfer window, but Torre was always considered “unlikely” to leave in the January transfer window.
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Now MD says the decision is final and Torre isn’t going anywhere this month. He is willing to fight for his position. Flick and his staff appreciate Torre’s versatility, and for the club, his departure wouldn’t give them much relief on their salary cap either, as he is one of the club’s lowest earners.