Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres this summer and the Spaniard could be Eddie Howe's own version of Marcus Rashford at St James' Park.
According to the Daily Mail, Torres could be on his way out of the Nou Camp this summer as the Catalan giants look to comply with Financial Fair Play restrictions.
Xavi's side, who recently won the La Liga title, are keen to bring Lionel Messi back to the club this summer and are willing to part ways with the Spain international in order to make that happen.
Newcastle are name-checked as one potential destination for the former Manchester City man, with Howe reportedly keen on recruiting players with Premier League experience this summer as he looks to build a squad capable of challenging in the Champions League.
The 23-year-old only joined Barcelona from City in December 2021 in a deal worth £46.7m but they are reportedly willing to sell him for just ?42m (£36m) this summer after a disappointing spell with the Catalan side.
Torres has mustered just 70 appearances in Barcelona colours, boasting 14 goals and nine assists, but his record in the Premier League with City was impressive as he managed 16 goals and four assists in just 43 outings.
He did make an impressive start to life at the Nou Camp, however, and earned some serious praise from Xavi back in 2022, suggesting that with regular football he could easily rediscover his best form at Newcastle.
Xavi said: "Perhaps Ferran has surprised me the most. He's a player on another level, he's spectacular: how he understands the space, links play, doesn't lose the ball, his defensive work... he's world-class. He's a great signing, one I wanted, and a wonderful footballer."
According to FBref, the second-most similar player to Torres when compared to other wingers across Europe's top leagues is Manchester United talisman, Marcus Rashford.
This season saw the two talented wide men register extremely similar stats with regard to expected goals and expected assists per 90 (0.60 vs 0.59), goals per shot on target (0.36 vs 0.35) and progressive passes per 90 (0.77 vs 0.75).
This emphasises that Torres can be an extremely dangerous player from both a goalscoring and creative perspective, so it was something of a surprise that he was utilised so little by Xavi.
With the England international having crashed in 30 goals and 11 assists this campaign, Howe would surely love to have a similar player in his squad at St James' Park next season.
Torres may not score as many, but when it comes to their technical ability and tendency to create regular chances, they are evidently alike.
Therefore, PIF should definitely be exploring a cut-price deal for Torres this summer, as he certainly looks to tick a lot of boxes for the Toon.