The honeymoon is over: Ferran Torres sparks concern at Paris Saint-Germain
An unexpected turn
Ferran Torres burst onto the scene as one of Paris Saint-Germain's brightest stars in the opening weeks of the campaign. That shine has started to fade. The Spaniard's goalscoring run has dried up, and now he faces a real test to rediscover his form and justify the billing he has enjoyed since arriving in the French capital.
French website "Foot Mercato" reckon the honeymoon between Torres and PSG is over. Recent weeks have exposed a clear dip in the Spanish forward's level, taking him from a headline signing to a player hunting for his scoring touch.
What a summer it had been for Torres. Crowned a World Cup winner with Spain after scoring the decisive goal in the final against Argentina (1-0) in extra time, he joined Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth 48.5 million euros.
He wasted no time proving his worth. On his first outing against Rennes, the Spaniard struck twice in a 2-2 draw to rescue his side from defeat.
The flying start kept rolling. Torres found the net against Brest and Marseille before the international break, then bagged a hat-trick against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League, confirming he had plenty to offer on his new adventure.
His teammates were just as taken as the Parc des Princes faithful. Ousmane Dembélé led the praise in the dressing room, saying: "I was lucky enough to play with him a little at Barcelona. He is a real goalscorer, an out-and-out striker who can also play on the wing. Playing with him is very enjoyable, he has excellent movement, and it is easy to find him on the pitch. We talk a lot, and playing alongside him is very smooth."
Vitinha was equally glowing: "I hope he continues in this way, he is shining remarkably! We all have to give our very best to reach the same level of effectiveness. We are very happy to have him with us."
The rosy picture has since clouded over. Torres has slipped into a lean spell that has raised doubts about whether he can sustain his early level.
Torres loses his shine and searches for a way out
The last international break did him no favours. Torres turned in a disappointing display against England before heading back to Paris to treat pain in his left ankle.
Since returning, the Spaniard has struggled to rediscover his touch. He has failed to score in PSG's last five matches and lost his starting spot for two huge fixtures against Manchester City and Barcelona, beginning both from the bench.
Against Barcelona, Dembélé's injury handed Torres a chance to stake his claim. He played 70 minutes but failed to deliver, earning a rating of 4 out of 10 in Foot Mercato's player marks for the game.
It was much the same against Olympique Lyonnais last Monday. The forward looked inconsistent and short of a cutting edge in front of goal, earning 5 out of 10 before the technical staff replaced him with Senny Mayulu, who went on to change the game by scoring the opener.
Four missed chances against Lyon goalkeeper Dominik Greif told their own story. Torres looked nothing like the player who had grabbed everyone's attention at the start of the season.
This dip has yet to spark major alarm inside PSG. Even so, a prolonged goal drought could pile pressure on the Spaniard, particularly with fierce competition for the attacking berths.
Friday's trip to Le Havre looks like the perfect chance to end the barren run and rebuild his confidence, especially with the opponents sitting rock bottom of Ligue 1.
So the question lingers. Will Torres grab the moment to end his slump and recover his shine, or will that explosive PSG start prove to be nothing more than a memory?
