Should Samuel Etoo leave Barcelona in the summer, a Barcelona-based publication has already chosen his replacement. Tuesday’s edition of the Spanish daily newspaper ‘Sport’ had Fernando Torres splashed across the front page. The young forward is seen as the ideal candidate to step into the Cameroon international’s shoes.

Sport, which dedicated five pages to the news breaking story, confirmed that the department run by Txiki Beguiristain “values positively the player’s development and career to date. And that the conclusion reached by Txiki and his staff is that the striker’s move to England has helped him to become one of the best all-round goalscorers in Europe.”

According to the publication printed in Cataluña, but is also read across Spain, Barcelona’s Sports Director Txiki Beguiristain and manager Pep Guardiola are both working together as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of next season. Several players have been linked to the current La Liga leaders, but the Liverpool number ‘9’ is seen as the favourite to spearhead the Barcelona attack in 2009/10.