Oliver Torres – Sevilla’s metronomic midfield controller
Oliver Torres came through the Atletico Madrid’s academy as a future starlet with the Spanish youth squads. His technical guile and floppy hair endeared him to supporters as Julen Lopetgui included him in his Portuguese expedition at FC Porto. Cristian Tello joined from Barcelona while Casmeiro had an immense season of growth at the base of midfield in Portugal. It has taken Torres till the age of 25 to fully find his footing in professional football as he had to reconnect with Lopetgui at Sevilla. With Ever Banega departing at the end of the season, Monchi may not have to work his transfer window artistry as his replacement may be in-house.
Torres was seen as a top prospect from an early age, receiving interest from Barcelona as he was so highly regarded that he had cameras tracking his every move, even when he was taking exams. At 11-years-old, he moved to Barcelona for a youth training program as Espanyol turned down the opportunity to sign the youngster from Extremadura because of his height. However, he crossed paths with Luis Pacha at the age of 12 in Barcelona who sent reports back to Paco Cordobes, who was Head of Talent Recruitment at Atletico Madrid, to inform them that he was a talent worth adding to their youth academy.
Atletico Madrid won the battle for to develop him as moved through the youth ranks while being compared to greats like Andres Iniesta and Xavi who he adored while he had the adoration of fans. Under Lopetgui at FC Porto, he had his best season as the two formed an unyielding bond as Torres was revered by the faithful at the Dragao. His wonderful vision, dribbling, precise passing and creativity meant that they had an innate creative prodigy on their hands and he received adoration from the fans.
Once he returned to Atletico Madrid, he began the season playing under Diego Simeone as an interior, he moved into pockets of space, receiving the ball, knowing when to drive the ball and when to release the ball. He and Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco battled for a starting role as Torres would come off for the Belgian and vice-versa as the young Spaniard failed to gain the trust of Simeone. Earning the trust of Simeone can be quite a journey as at the beginning of his career, another Atleti youth product Gabi was not highly rated by Simeone who was one of the elder statesmen of the playing staff at the time. Torres rejoined FC Porto but without Lopetgui and under other managers, his preconceived nonchalance and lack of fitness never allowed him to maintain a foothold in the starting lineup.
Sergio Conceicao deploys a rigid 4-4-2 that he believed lacked defensive rigidity if he included Torres as the Spaniard had rumours linking him with a move back to Spain with Real Betis within the last two years. When Lopetgui was hired as Sevilla manager, he made sure to make his protégé his ninth signing in a busy summer as Torres was not seeking a move but the opportunity to link up with a manager who truly understands him and be closer to his family proved too alluring. Torres began the season playing as winger as wide players in Lopetgui’s system, take up more central positions with overlapping fullbacks as the Atleti youth product played on the right and left flank with Jesus Navas and Sergio Reguilon.
In the twilight of his career, Navas has continued to be a motor taking charge of flanks, driving the ball forward with purpose and industry as a whirring force of productivity. This allowed Torres to operate in the half-spaces as the duo would link play together in build-up as well as in the final third with Torres creating opportunities as an auxiliary midfielder as well as giving Sevilla numerical superiority in crucial areas of the pitch. In a match against Alaves, Torres moved to the left flank, allowing Sergio Reguilon to overlap him as the duo combined well. Torres also made runs past striker Luuk De Jong as they worked a move where Reguilon played the ball to De Jong who tried to manoeuvre a through ball to Torres which was intercepted.
Torres was always a fan of Ronaldinho in his youth as he connected with his enjoyment of the game as under Lopetgui, the 25-year-old has played with purpose and joy in a variety of roles. Torres loves the half-space while against Eibar, he executed a spin to evade three players at once to work a pass to his centre-back as he looked technically sharper and physically stronger. A few moments later, Munir El Haddadi dropped deep and played through Lucas Ocampos who squared a low cross for Torres to tap in at the far post for his first and only goal of the season.
Oliver Torres was unable to earn a starting role in midfield due to Lopetgui finding balance with a midfield three of Fernando Reges, Joan Jordan and Ever Banega but on the day of the announcement of Banega’s departure to Al Shabab in late January, Torres put on a first-class performance that lessened the blow of the Argentine’s departure. In a deeper midfield role at home to Granada, he shuttled across the pitch, connecting play from the deeper areas to the left half-space as he worked transitions with Navas and Ocampos. He picked up the ball and worked a beautiful diagonal to Nolito in one sequence before rushing back into position once possession was lost and making a perfectly timed tackle to regain possession.
Torres built on this performance with an even more impressive performance against Osasuna as he began the game with a diagonal to Ocampos on the right before working another one to Sergio Escudero on the left who drove forward and had a shot saved. He then regained possession in the higher areas of the pitch to deftly play a pass for Youssef El-Nesri to go through on goal and score. The 25-year-old Spaniard continued his performance by making key interceptions in midfield, pinging some beautiful diagonal passes to switch play while dropping into the six space to allow his midfield partners in Fernando and Nemanja Gudelj to push forward. Torres frequently moves into the six space to receive possession from the centre-backs and work passes in between the lines much like Banega does when he is deployed in the role.
The Spaniard started the game in between the lines, receiving passes and connecting play but was more integral when he dropped deeper to command the game in earlier phases of play. Lopetgui’s side look to work 3v3 wide combinations and stretch the pitch akin to the manager’s stylish Spanish youth teams as Torres’ ability to stretch play with accurate diagonals help the team move the ball quicker and create opportunities on the opposition’s weak side. He wrapped up his first-half with a second assist as his corner was headed in by Ocampos while he has allowed Lopetgui and Monchi to feel more comfortable with losing Banega.
"I knew it was going to be difficult to play, in a position where Banega, Vázquez, Jordán and I competed. I knew that this was going to make me improve. My best version has been seen in recent times, playing inside, where I feel more comfortable. I'm going on a very good line to follow my best version, " reflected Torres on his Instagram Live last month.
“Many people have asked me. Ever has shown for many years what a player he is. I feel identified in his football. I try to take the best from each teammate, but not to be a substitute for anyone, but to be the best version of I hope that in five or six years you will ask another boy who is reflected in me, " Torres continued.
Once Banega departs, his number 10 shirt previously worn by Jose Antonio Reyes will be available as Torres has already indicated that he will ask to wear the shirt. However, he has said on his Instagram Live and to Sevilla’s radio station that he does not see himself as a Banega replacement but rather a version of himself that has been waiting to be unleashed. He also stated that if a Banega replacement is signed then he will have to compete with him as Torres is making good on his early promise in La Liga. It has been a long journey where Lopetgui has turned up many times to influence and guide him as both have finally found long-term homes in Seville.
