Ferran Torres needed little time to prove that his move to Paris Saint-Germain was more than another front-line reinforcement. This could be the beginning of a more decisive version of the Spanish forward.
Within a few weeks, Torres has become one of the most prominent attacking weapons in Luis Enrique's line-up. The numbers say it best. His scoring pace has drawn direct comparison with one of the most prominent scorers in the club's history, Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Clasico against Olympique Marseille confirmed the transformation. Once again, Torres popped up at the moment Paris Saint-Germain needed a player who could settle chances and turn them into goals.
Torres settles the Clasico at a decisive moment
Paris Saint-Germain secured a precious 2-1 win over Olympique Marseille at the Vélodrome, an important victory that boosts their recent form.
Despite their control of the play and their clear superiority in possession and tempo, the Parisians suffered for a long spell from the absence of a final touch in front of goal. Then, in the second half, they found their way to the net.
Relief arrived in the 66th minute, when Torres opened the scoring. Marseille levelled quickly through Angel Gomes in the 72nd minute.
That equaliser did not last long. Marquinhos restored PSG's lead just three minutes later, settling the match at 2-1 and sending the visitors home from the Vélodrome with a precious victory.
This win offers an important boost to a side who began their Ligue 1 campaign in stumbling fashion. Three consecutive victories across all competitions now suggest the team has begun to recover its balance.
Seven shots, seven goals
As Paris Saint-Germain chase their best level, Ferran Torres keeps cementing his status as a player who can make the difference at any moment.
Since arriving in the French capital from Barcelona over the summer, the Spanish forward needed no long settling-in period. His name stood out from his first appearance in the PSG shirt, and his numbers soon turned into a real source of pressure on Luis Enrique when he weighs up his attacking options.
Against Marseille, Torres came on for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the 59th minute. He needed only seven minutes to leave his mark on the Clasico.
Désiré Doué whipped in a well-placed cross from the left flank on 66 minutes. Torres moved intelligently between CJ Egan-Riley and Nayef Aguerd, arrived unmarked six yards from goal and directed the ball accurately into the top left corner of Geronimo Rulli's net.
That goal was more than a decisive moment in a big match. It extended an astonishing run of attacking effectiveness the Spaniard has delivered since his arrival in Paris.
Ferran Torres has scored 7 goals from his first 7 shots on target with Paris Saint-Germain in official competitions. Those figures reflect an exceptional ability to convert the chances that come his way.
Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic can better that scoring start, having scored eight goals in his first six matches with the Parisian club, according to the French website "Foot Mercato".
Torres now finds himself closing in on one of the most influential scorers in Paris Saint-Germain's history, a start nobody expected to carry this much momentum.
A new dilemma for Luis Enrique
Despite the striking numbers, Torres treated them calmly, preferring not to give them more than their weight and stressing that it is about making the most of the chances he gets.
The Spanish forward said: "You just have to take your chances. Sometimes you're lucky and you score, and sometimes you're not. The only thing to do is to keep trying, time after time."
But the numbers say luck is not the whole story. Torres has shown a great ability to position himself inside the penalty area, to read the movements of his team-mates and to exploit spaces, along with the finishing touch any side competing at the highest level needs.
His brilliance is not good news for Torres alone. It also confronts Luis Enrique with a genuine challenge when picking his starting line-up.
The Spanish coach already boasts a strong attacking group featuring Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué, plus other options such as Bradley Barcola. Yet Torres has forced his way into the coach's calculations, and it is no longer easy to treat him as merely a substitute.
What stands out is that Torres refuses to settle for an added contribution off the bench. He keeps scoring and influencing matches in the minutes he gets, which makes ignoring him harder as time passes.
Luis Enrique praises his forward
Luis Enrique, for his part, made no secret of his admiration for what Torres has offered since his arrival, stressing that the player represents an important addition to the team.
The Spanish coach said: "I am extremely happy with all of our new signings. They all contribute to the team and add a lot to us. We need them to keep developing as a team, and especially Ferran, who is putting in an amazing performance."
He added: "Ferran is distinguished by his strength in penetrating in behind, and he exploits spaces brilliantly. And when you have players like him in midfield, who have the necessary quality to pass, he is at the peak of his level, and we are happy that he has joined us."
Those words reveal the scale of the appreciation Torres enjoys within the coaching staff, especially as his style hands the team different solutions, whether by running in behind the defenders, exploiting spaces or finishing off attacks quickly.
He no longer accepts the role of substitute
Seen at the start of the season as an extra option within an attacking list crowded with stars, Torres has watched the picture change quickly. He is Paris Saint-Germain's top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with four goals, and a World Cup champion with Spain. He now looks far more ambitious than a man content with limited minutes.
His current figures earn him the right to compete strongly for more playing time, perhaps even a starting place in Luis Enrique's line-up, especially if he keeps taking chances this efficiently.
Paris Saint-Germain possess some of the most prominent attacking names around, yet Torres has added a new equation to the coach's calculations: a player who needs neither a stack of chances to score nor a long spell on the pitch to leave his impact.
Keep this up, and Torres could turn the competition within Paris Saint-Germain's attack into one of the most exciting stories of the coming period. The Spaniard has gone from contender for a place to a player who forces Luis Enrique to seriously consider a bigger role.
As Torres keeps chasing goals, the comparison with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's start is no longer just an attractive headline. The numbers back it up, and they make the Spanish forward one of Paris Saint-Germain's most interesting players this early in the season.