Barcelona take on Real Madrid in race for £22m La Liga wonderkid, labelled ‘new Asensio’

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Barcelona and Real Madrid are reportedly set to clash off the pitch in the transfer market as they both eye a move for Valencia’s Ferran Torres.

Both clubs are arguably in need of lowering the average age of their respective squads further, with a number of iconic figures and fundamental individuals in the latter stages of their 20s and beyond.

In turn, it’s no surprise to see the two Spanish giants linked with a move for one of La Liga’s top prospects, with Torres attracting attention with his form at youth level for Valencia, while he’s also got 24 caps at U17s level for Spain.

The 17-year-old winger evidently possesses plenty of talent and it’s enough for Don Balon, as re-reported by The Express, to suggest that he is wanted by both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Further, it’s added by the Express that the release clause in his contract now stands at £22m, which means that if either club is keen to sign him, they will have to splash out on the teenager.

That in itself could be seen as a major risk as he has yet to prove his quality at a higher level on a consistent basis, which would suggest that spending so much on him would be a gamble.

Meanwhile, it’s also intriguing to see him labelled as the next Marco Asensio, as comparisons can be made between the pair in terms of their style of play.

However, if he were to move to the Bernabeu, he surely wouldn’t want to share the same frustrations as the 21-year-old, as he has struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular. Asensio has started just one of the last five La Liga games that he has been available for selection.

With Cristiano Ronaldo turning 33 next month and as Karim Benzema continues to struggle for goals while Gareth Bale has had his injury nightmares, it might be more useful for Madrid to swoop for the youngster, but only if he is likely to get a chance to prove his worth.

It’s claimed by Don Balon that Barca president Josep Bartomeu is concerned by the lack of talent emerging from the club’s youth academy, but with Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele joining the club in the last two transfer windows, he’s seemingly prioritised elsewhere for marquee long-term signings.

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