Think Torres will be top scorer? Back him now!

Fernando Torres is the favourite to finish next season as the Premier League’s top goalscorer but the odds of 7/2 on a player who may suffer “second season syndrome” are hardly the most appetising.

However, if you are convinced that the Spanish striker is going to start this season in the same vein he finished the last then you should back him right now, despite his seemingly poor odds. Why? Because right behind him the other leading contenders are Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor – all players being linked with a move away. If they leave, Torres’ odds are liable to get even skinnier.

The signs are good for Torres that now he has shown what he can do, he will get even better. Torres’ 24 goals broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record for the most goals by a foreigner in their debut season (23) and when the Dutchman broke the record he went on to win the Golden Boot the next year.

The negatives for Torres are the fact that a Liverpool player has never won the Golden Boot outright since the Premier League’s exception – though Michael Owen did tie twice – and Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have boasted the last seven winners.

Click here to read our seven steps to identifying the Premier League top goalscorer.