The Spaniard has been deployed in a traditional centre forward role as well as a false-nine, but Ronaldo’s impending arrival will see him shunted down the Etihad pecking order.
One shining light for Torres could be the recent switch made by Jesus.
Should Jesus be recognised as a wide-attacker going forward, that could give Torres a reprieve as one of the only central alternatives to Ronaldo in attack.
However, it remains likely Torres’ game-time will still suffer as a direct consequence of Ronaldo’s arrival – with Guardiola, already famed for his rotation, now facing a challenging juggling act to satisfy his bloated attacking department.