Time to come of age: Cristian Tello

Barcelona have loaned out promising winger Cristian Tello to Portuguese giants Porto on a two year
deal. It is no secret in Spain that Tello has the potential to be a top player, but game time has been hard to come by in the competitive squad Barcelona have had over the years. At Porto, Tello has the opportunity to play two years worth of first team football and will need to take it with both hands.

Tello's chances to play have come sparingly, but when he has played he has shown his ability to beat the opposing full back with electric acceleration and touch tight dribbling. Cutting in from his natural left flank position is his favoured move rather than whipping in a cross makes him a devastatingly attacking player that really causes defences problems.

Guilty at times of over doing it on the ball, often attempting to take it round player to many or shooting rather than laying it off to a team mate in a better position, time at Porto could see this coached out of him. It is hard to believe watching him that he graduated from Barcelona's La Masia academy as he favours running with the ball rather than conforming to the Tika Taka passing philosophy that coaches in the system drill into players.

Thumbs up from Tello as he joins Porto's pre season

Porto are notorious in Europe for nurturing promising talents and churning them into top players. This move for Tello could be exactly what a player like him needs, a player who has bags of potential looking for game time but in dire need of ironing out the creases in his game.

At Porto, Tello is likely to get the game time he desires, something which could see him really thrive. Porto also have the option to make the deal a permanent one, but is something that Barcelona can choose to remove after the first year of loaning. The Catalan club will be keeping a close eye on their product as they know losing him could be a huge loss with the potential he has displayed.

Tello is a very direct and penetrating attacker 

At 22 years of age, Tello is no teenage wonder kid, but this does not mean time at Porto cant make him become one of the hottest and most sought after young talents. Liverpool, Tottenham and Valencia have all been rumoured in the past to have been keen on the winger, with Brendan Rodgers reported to have made contact over a transfer this window before he opted to join Porto.

This loan move could be the move that launches Tello into the top player his earlier promise suggested. Porto is the perfect place for such a thing to happen, with a reputation of creating incredible players. It is time for Cristian Tello to come of age...