Manchester City star Ferran Torres looks to seize moment for club and country

Ferran Torres netted a hat-trick in Manchester City's pulsating 4-3 victory at Newcastle United on Friday night in what could help shape the club's plans for next season.

The Spaniard has had somewhat of a low-key season at the Etihad; the clash at St. James's Park was just his 14 thPremier League start of the campaign as he has largely been on the peripheries of Pep Guardiola's squad.

This should not come as a great surprise for a 21-year-old who is in his first season at a new club, in a new country and in a new culture.

Torres comes from the Valencian municipality of Foios and he was signed by Valencia aged six, where he blossomed into a star before being sold last summer.

This is his first year outside of that environment and patience is required for the transition to be conducted correctly.

Regarded as one of the most exciting Spanish talents of a generation, fans at the Mestalla were outraged by his sale last summer - part of a huge cost-cutting exercise by their absentee owner Peter Lim. Torres joined City for an initial fee of little over £20million in what was widely acknowledged as a bargain.

Torres was always destined to play at the top level - progressing rapidly through Los Che's academy system and starring at every age group.

Aged 12, he experienced a growth spurt that temporarily imbalanced his co-ordination and progress, but his drive and determination ensured his progression into the first-team, where he became the youngest ever player at the club to reach 50 appearances.

Primarily an out-and-out winger, his acceleration, dribbling and strength made him stand out. Whilst his technique may have lagged behind many other stars at the top of the Spanish game, his directness and trickery more than made up for it.

His adaptation into City's system meant a change of style was required; Torres could no longer play with quite the same width nor in quite the same style, but he would need to fit in with the more nuanced tactical shape of Pep Guardiola's side.

As highlighted by Whoscored.com, he has started in seven different positions this season but he has excelled in none quite as he has on an attacking position on the right.

His hat-trick against Newcastle came as he was deployed on the right of a front-three, where he was able to find space and make runs that the home defence could not handle and he scored the first hat-trick of his club career.

Torres also hit a treble in Spain's 6-0 demolition of Germany in November and he is now up to 19 goals this season for club and country. He netted in four of City's four Champions League group games earlier this campaign, with his composure in front of goal a clear leap in his performance since his transfer.

With Sergio Aguero out of contract at the club this summer, Gabriel Jesus will be the only recognised senior striker in City's ranks - leading to speculation that they will attempt to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland or England captain Harry Kane.

However, the adaptability and skillset of Torres may pause such plans.

After all, City have played multiple games this season without a recognised striker and - whilst opposition teams will eventually find a way to combat this development - the recruitment of a player of that level would be a significant financial commitment that would likely abandon the innovation entirely.

The challenge now for Torres is to maintain his goal output to illustrate why he should be afforded first-team opportunities.

Competing for places against Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva is a huge challenge for any player, with City's embarrassment of attacking riches meaning that mass rotations can take place without any drop in performance.

Torres is also likely to star at this summer's European Championships, where Spain will be considered among the pre-tournament favourites.

The City star has started seven matches for La Roja since September and now appears to be a guaranteed starter, while his six goals in that timeframe ensure he is also his side's most reliable goalscoring threat.

The international tournament is likely to provide a platform for Torres to truly establish himself as one of the continent's star attacking talents and next season is likely to see him afforded the chance of replicating that form to spearhead City's attack.