Why Fernando Torres Is a Better Fit for AC Milan Than Mario Balotelli

Fernando Torres' name once carried more luster than just about any centre-forward in world football.

At his Liverpool peak, he scored goals for fun, ending his career with the club with a record of 81 goals in 142 appearances.

The narrative shifted almost instantly upon his move to Chelsea in January of 2011, as he scored only once in 14 appearances the rest of the season.

He followed that up with 11 and 22 goals in the following two seasons, respectively.

At first glance, 22 goals is an above-average output for a forward. However, he failed to score between the 18th and 38th match days despite playing in all but two of those 21 games. Nine of the goals that year came in 15 Europa League and Champions League matches.

Not terrible numbers at all, yet not befitting of the most expensive signing in British football history at the time.

Now, the heavily criticized Torres finds himself directly replacing the mercurial Mario Balotelli, who has left Milan to attempt to become the latest darling of the fans on Merseyside with Liverpool.

It is a fascinating scenario in which the two men are hoping to reach similarly ambitious heights at each other's former clubs. Many around the world remain skeptical of Milan and Liverpool for investing in either of them.

While Balotelli certainly will enjoy not being the focal point of the team at Anfield, Torres' arrival seemingly brings more questions than answers.

The narrative around Milan has been uniform—Torres simply needed a change of scenery and the slower pace of the Italian game may play to his strengths in particular. Even Jose Mourinho, Torres' former manager at Chelsea, said that Torres needed to move to restore his confidence.

Now that Torres has signed, in what has been seen as a sign of the dire times Milan find themselves in, it is important to realize that Torres possesses some qualities that this Milan side can benefit from under new manager Filippo Inzaghi's tactical setup.

The season-opening 3-1 win against Lazio came with a front three of Stephan El Shaarawy, Jeremy Menez and Keisuke Honda. Torres' arrival will likely push Menez out of the starting XI, at least in the role of the "false 9."

Using the Lazio match as a template, this Milan side will look to counter-attack using the pace of El Shaarawy and Menez on the flanks, along with Pablo Armero and one of Mattia De Sciglio or Ignazio Abate as full-backs.

While the technical ability of Milan sides past is lacking, this team cannot be accused of lacking genuine speed. This is where Torres fits the bill far better than Balotelli ever could.

There has been much debate in Italy over the compatibility of El Shaarawy and Balotelli, given the curious drop-off in form El Shaarawy suffered ever since January 2013, which coincided with Balotelli's arrival from Manchester City.

Injuries certainly played a large role, but it was clear to the naked eye that the two couldn't mesh well given the differences in their respective playing styles. This is still an issue that hasn't been solved at the international level and may be one of new Azzurri manager Antonio Conte's biggest problems to solve.

Balotelli garnered a reputation as something of an individualist who didn't always work hard for the team, while Torres has been, by all accounts, a dedicated professional at least as it pertains to training.

At this junction in time, Balotelli is the more technically gifted player, but what Milan needs is a centre-forward who fits the team ethos of working hard defensively and linking up with teammates. In this sense, a forward like Mario Mandzukic would have been perfect.

In today's world, Milan can't afford players like Mandzukic and thus have to settle for players like Torres as they become available.

Regardless, his approach and attitude have been highly encouraging, as Torres seems genuinely desperate to impress his new fans as he readies himself for the next chapter of his career.

If Torres can stay healthy, he seems an excellent fit alongside Milan's pacey wingers. It is not unreasonable to suspect that he and Milan could spring some surprises this season.