Who is Ferran Torres? The winger Liverpool are reportedly out to stop Barcelona signing

Liverpool are reportedly paying close attention to Valencia winger Ferran Torres as a potential back-up for their exciting front three.

The Reds currently boast quality in the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, but their options past the trio pale in comparison. As a result, the club are keen on signing Torres in January, according to Sport Bild, via Sport Witness.

Who is Ferran Torres? Five things to know…

• Age: 19.
• Position: Winger.
• Career path so far: Valencia.
• Key stat: Torres scored both goals in the U19 European Championship final as Spain beat Portugal 2-0.
• Did you know? Torres was the first player born in the 2000s to make a La Liga appearance.

Liverpool currently have Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri and Rhian Brewster as the only other recognised forwards in their Premier League squad, with Jurgen Klopp favouring the 4-3-3 formation that has worked wonders for him so far.

The Reds sit top of the Premier League after 10 games, winning nine and drawing one, and are currently six points clear of second-placed Manchester City. But Liverpool will be wary having had a similar lead last season, only to lose out on the title by a solitary point.

As a result, the Reds may look to the transfer market to ensure their squad can deal with the title fight as well as any other competitions, and Torres has reportedly been earmarked as a target.

The 19-year-old came through the academy at Valencia and made his first-team breakthrough for Los Che towards the end of the 2017/18 season, playing regular football for the La Liga side. This season, Torres has featured in nine of Valencia’s 10 La Liga games, starting five and recording one assist so far.

Overall, Torres has scored twice and recorded three assists in 46 La Liga games for Valencia and was the second player born in 2000 to score in the Spanish league, beaten only by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.

Torres has also been a key player for Spain at various youth levels, representing La Roja’s U17, U19 and U21 sides. The winger was a key member of the Spain U17 outfit that reached the final of the World Cup in 2017, scoring twice and recording three assists. However, he was unable to stop La Roja losing 5-2 to England in the final.

His step up to U19 brought success as recently as the summer, with Torres again a key member of the squad at the European Championships. Despite recording an assist in the opening game against Armenia, Torres’ most telling contribution would come in the competition’s showcase, as he scored both goals to help Spain beat Portugal 2-0 and win the tournament.

A call up to the U21 followed, and Torres has currently made four appearances with Spain embarking on their qualification campaign for the 2021 European Championships.

Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel here.

Torres’ performances have been enough to alert Liverpool, but the Reds face competition from Barcelona and Klopp’s former club, Borussia Dortmund. The 19-year-old is currently under contract with Valencia until 2021 having signed a new deal in 2018 with a release clause worth €100m.

But, according to reports, the Spanish club could settle for €20m next summer to avoid losing the youngster on a free transfer with no new deal on the horizon.