Ferran Torres can give Barcelona a boost like Edgar Davids

It should bring momentum and strengthen the team before the second part of the season. This is Ferran Torres’ main task in the Catalan capital. Barcelona’s January transfers are not very successful, but the arrival of Edgar Davids at the beginning of 2004 is worth mentioning. The Dutchman brought a fresh wind and quickly became a key player despite not being able to play European cups. Davids contributed to the rebuilding of the team and to this day is a symbol of successful reinforcements during the season.

History repeats itself

In 2003, Barcelona’s situation was quite similar to the current one. The team was broken, had problems in management, but also difficulties in fighting for any trophy. Joan Laporta was then elected president, as he was this year.

One difference is that coach Frank Rijkaard has had time to build the team since the start of the season and Xavi has only been on the bench for a month and a half. The legend himself is the link between the two seasons, as he was previously an important figure on the pitch.

Now it is he who is supposed to symbolise the start of a new cycle. Ronaldinho was responsible for it in 2003.

The impact of the January signing

The start of this new phase eighteen years ago was difficult and Barcelona were already eighteen points behind Real Madrid, which is the same as today. The Catalans were even in twelfth place at one point.

As now, the team was also threatened with a second participation in less prestigious European competitions – then in the UEFA Cup and now in the Europa League. To make a difference, Barça made just one move in the winter transfer window, acquiring Edgar Davids on loan.

The arrival of the Dutchman helped improve the team’s position and with the midfielder in the squad, Barcelona didn’t lose fifteen games. For example, they won with Atlético, Valencia, Deportivo and Real Madrid, which allowed them to advance to second place in the table ahead of Los Blancos.

They failed to win the league (Valencia won it), but Barça started to move in the right direction, which was confirmed by their success in the following years. Davids, despite his great attitude, did not stay at Barcelona because he had a valid contract with Inter Milan.

Ferran Torres’ impulse

Barcelona are hoping that acquiring Ferran will have a similar effect to the Dutchman – providing the team with instant quality in the most weakened area. The twenty-one-year-old is expected to improve the team’s effectiveness in front of the opposition goal and, as a versatile footballer, increase the room for manoeuvre in an attack from which other injured players are notoriously dropped.

In the case of Torres, however, this is a transfer that can have not only an immediate impact but also a long-term benefit. One can only hope that the young Spaniard goes the Davids way from the start rather than the numerous failed winter transfers.

Source: Mundo Deportivo