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THEY only recently parted with Leroy Sane, but already Manchester City look like they’ve found a ready-made replacement.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been linked to a move for Spanish wonderkid Ferran Torres, 20, who has reportedly agreed a five-year deal at the Etihad.

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Manchester City are reportedly closing in on Valencia winger Ferran TorresCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The Valencia star has been called the complete winger in the Spanish press.
Able to play on both sides and being gifted with both feet, Torres is renowned for his pace and acceleration.
And with an eye for the pass, he could also fill the void left by the departing David Silva with his intricate play on the edge of the opposition box.
Meet the man they’ve labelled the ‘next Joaquin’ overseas.

BREAKOUT SEASON
While Valencia have disappointed this campaign, finishing ninth in La Liga and getting eliminated in the last 16 of the Champions League by Atalanta, Torres has been their one bright spark.
This season he cemented his place in Los Ches’ starting eleven, operating from both flanks.
And with injuries to Portuguese talisman Goncalo Guedes, Torres has become the main man.
The numbers don’t quite back up his importance to the Valencia side – four goals and five assists in 34 La Liga games.

But his performances have drawn suitors including Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus in the past 18-months.

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Winger Torres is the ideal replacement for Leroy Sane Credit: Getty Images – Getty

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Torres has been on Valencia’s book since he was six

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He hails from the Valencia area originally

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Torres rose through the ranks at his boyhood club
LOCAL BOY
Torres grew up in Foios, Horta Nord, in the Valencian Community.
He began training with his boyhood club from the age of six, slowly working his way up the ranks.
In 2016 he made his debut for the reserves coming on as a substitute in a 2-0 Segunda División B home loss against Mallorca B.
Impressed by his progress, Barcelona and Real Madrid began hovering over the talent a year later.
Realising they had a gem on their hands, Valencia tied Torres up to a new contract with a £25million release clause.
If the big teams wanted him, it was going to cost them.
TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG?
Torres’ ascension into first team football has been as rapid as the player himself.
In November last year, he made his 50th La Liga appearance for the club – becoming the youngest Valencia player to play 50 league games at the age of 19 years and 324 days, breaking the 40-year old record of Miguel Tendillo.

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Torres became the youngest ever Valencia player to reach 50 games for the clubCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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His form has seen him linked with the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid
There’s no doubt the burden of responsibility has been placed on his young shoulders by one of the most successful teams in Spanish football.
And comparisons to Spain legend Joaquin will also put pressure on Torres.
A price tag of £87million has been mentioned in the past, but reports suggest Man City will be paying a lot less than that figure due to Valencia’s financial woes.
PLENTY OF ATTRIBUTES
So, what are Man City getting for their money – a fee said to be in the region of £36million plus add-ons?
A modern winger, who is equally as comfortable drifting in-field as he is hugging the touchline, Torres has been praised for his work-rate, essential for a new recruit working under Guardiola.
His raw pace, knocking the ball ahead of a full-back and winning the foot-race, is just one of his many tricks.
The adept dribbler has also been praised for his vision, finding team-mates with passes not many players can see.

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Torres boasts blistering pace

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Manchester City could be getting a bargain if a deal is pushed through

“He’s powerful, quick, steady with the ball at his feet and strong in the air,” Valencia academy director of recruitment Jose Gimenez said.
“He’s unpredictable. When he’s running with the ball at his feet he can go on inside or outside his man because he is two-footed. He can cross, finish and shoot.”
Sounds tailor-made for Manchester City, as they plot adding to their squad to regain the Premier League crown from Liverpool.

Man City willing to splurge £300M on transfers this summer as they target Ake and Torres to dethrone Liverpool More

CLUB legends deserve respect.
That’s why their teams have retired these star players’ squad numbers – never to be worn again.

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Jude Bellingham’s No22 jersey has been retired by Birmingham CityCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Jude Bellingham became the latest footballer to be given the honour, after breaking through at Birmingham City to sign for Borussia Dortmund in a £25million deal.
And the 17-year-old joins a list of accomplished performers he would love to emulate.
DIEGO MARADONA NO10
Not just Napoli’s greatest ever player, but arguably the greatest of all-time, Maradona defined the No10 jersey.
He delivered two Serie A titles for the Italian giants, the only championships they have ever won, during a glittering seven-year career in Naples.

His famous No10 shirt was retired in 2000.
Interestingly, Argentina also tried to retire his No10 international top in time for the 2002 World Cup, but had their request rejected by Fifa.

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Maradona was arguably the greatest NO10 of all timeCredit: Getty – Contributor
BOBBY MOORE NO6
The West Ham and England legend has been called the best defender to come from our shores.
So it was fitting in 2008 that the Hammers decided they would retire their captain’s No6.

The last player to wear it was Matthew Upson, who took the No15 on the 50-year anniversary Moore made his West Ham debut.

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West Ham captain Bobby Moore’s NO6 was retired by West Ham in 2008Credit: Getty Images – Getty
PAOLO MALDINI NO3
AC Milan’s No3 shirt has remained dormant since Maldini’s last game for the club in 2009.
And why not, considering the iconic defender won Serie A seven times and five European Cup/Champions League titles during his time there.
The one club man does have one special request though where the shirt could become unretired.
Should one of his sons emerge through the ranks and into the first team, he will be offered the opportunity to wear the No3. No pressure then.

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Paolo Maldini’s NO3 is only available to his sonsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
JOHAN CRUYFF NO14
In 2007, in honour of the late Cruyff’s 60th birthday, Ajax retired his famous No14 jersery.
The purveyor of ‘Total Football’ was an innovator on the pitch – winning the Ballon d’Or three times.
The late Dutch winger also played for Barcelona, who considered retiring the No14 jersey.
However, because he played in various squad numbers they changed their minds.

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Johan Cruyff’s famous NO14 was retired by Ajax on his 60th birthday
MARC-VIVIEN FOE, 23
Tragedy can also bring hero status.
In 2003, Cameroon legend Foe was playing for his country against Colombia in the Confederations Cup when he collapsed in the centre circle.
Despite the desperate attempts of medics to revive him, he died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at hospital.
Manchester City duly retired his No23.

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Marc-Vivien Foe’s NO23 was retired by Man City after his sudden passingCredit: Getty Images – Getty
PELE NO10
It’s fair to say NY Cosmos were put on the map by Pele.
Brazil’s greatest ever sports star played in the North American Soccer League from 1975-77 – scoring 64 goals in 107 games – in his twilight years.
That encouraged the Cosmos to retire his No10 shirt at half-time during his last game with the club.
Pele has been credited with increasing the interest of football in the States.

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Pele wore the NO10 during his twilight years at NY CosmosCredit: Getty – Contributor
FRANCO BARESI NO6
Maldini isn’t the only AC Milan legend to have his shirt number retired.
His old defensive partner Franco Baresi was also given the honour, after winning Serie A six times and three European Cup/Champions League titles across a 20-year career.
Baresi’s jersey was retired in 1997, after his last game for the club.
Two years later, he was named AC Milan Player of the Century.

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When Franco Baresi retired in 1997 Milan retired his NO6Credit: Getty Images – Getty
EMILIANO SALA NO9
The Argentine striker tragically died in an airplane crash after agreeing a deal with Cardiff City in 2019.
The football world grieved, while his former club Nantes knew what the most fitting tribute would be.
They retired his No9 jersey, after 133 games for the Ligue 1 brought 48 goals.

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Nantes retired Sala’s NO9 after his tragic death in an airplane crashCredit: Icon Sport – Getty
CARL IKEME NO1
The Wolves No1 played 191 times for the club between 2003-2018.
But in 2017, Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukemia.
A year later, after being in complete remission, he hung up his gloves.
In his honour, Wolves retired their No1 jersey.
And that’s why Rui Patricio wears No11.

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Ikeme’s NO1 jersey was retired by Wolves in 2018Credit: Getty Images – Getty
HENRIK LARSSON NO17
Arguably, the greatest Swedish player of all-time.
Former Manchester United player Larsson is a legend at Helsingborgs, where he enjoyed two successful spells from 1992-93 and 2006-09.
He wore the No17 jersey up until his retirement in 2013.
To celebrate his incredible career, Helsingborgs retired his number soon after.

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Henrik Larsson is a Helsingborgs legendCredit: Johan Persson
ROGERIO CENI NO01
Brazilian goalie Ceni played over 1,200 times for Sao Paulo in a career that began in 1990 and ended in 2015.
What was more remarkable was his goalscoring record – famous for taking set pieces, he scored 131 goals.

He had a unique squad number too – No01 – a purposefully inverted No10.
The No1 isn’t off limits, though.
Legend.

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Ceni wore the NO01 jersey, an inverted NO10Credit: Getty Images – Getty More

A FEW days after the passing of Jack Charlton, he was followed into the pearly gates by one of his old adversaries.
Silvio Marzolini, who died on Friday at the age of 79, was Argentina’s left back in that stormy Wembley World Cup quarter final in 1966, when visiting captain Antonio Rattin was sent off and a late Geoff Hurst goal sent England through to a last four clash with Portugal.

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Silvio Marzolini passed away last week at 79Credit: Twitter@Augustocesar22
Blonde, elegant and talented, Marzolini was chosen as the best left back of the tournament – a highpoint of an international career that lasted for much of the decade.
His last caps came as Argentina failed to make it to Mexico 70. Some of his first came in the 1962 World Cup in Chile, when Argentina were eliminated in the group phase after suffering a 3-1 defeat to England.
This time there was only one Charlton in the England line up. Jack’s international career would not get underway for another three years.
But younger brother Bobby was already one of the outstanding players of an England side that ended up losing to eventual champions Brazil in the quarter finals.

Amazingly, Marzolini and Bobby Charlton could even have become club mates – on the other side of the Atlantic.
During the World Cup in Chile, Charlton received a backdoor approach from Buenos Aires giants Boca Juniors.
He mentioned that his wife was pregnant with their first child – and was told that this would be no problem.
Boca could arrange for the child to be born in the British Embassy, so that it would be qualified to play for England.

Bobby Charlton had no interest in leaving Manchester United.
The main incentive to join Boca would have been financial – this was a time when the big clubs in Argentina paid much higher wages than players received in England.

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Marzolini was a Boca Junior legendCredit: Twitter@Augustocesar22

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Bobby Charlton could have been Marzolini’s team-mate at BocaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And this in turn explains why Silvio Marzolini was such a Boca legend. He had reached the pinnacle, in sporting and financial terms, and with nothing to lure him away he played for Boca between 1960 and 1972.
He later returned to coach the club, and was in charge during Diego Maradona’s brief but memorable and victorious time there in the early 1980s.
These days, of course, a player with the pedigree of Silvio Marzolini would be lured to Europe at an early age.
Argentina’s current left back, Nicolas Tagliafico, plays for Ajax in Holland, and has been linked in the last few days with a move to Chelsea and Manchester City.

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Nicolas Tagliafico has similarities to MarzoliniCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Tagliafico is not quite in the same class as Marzolini. The 1960s left back was better balanced. But there is something of the old player in the new.
They share an upright elegance. This is more than a coincidence. Marzolini’s last job in football was with the youth ranks of the Banfield club, in the sprawl of greater Buenos Aires.
One of the players he developed was Nicolas Tagliafico, who paid tribute to him on his death last week.

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