Pau Torres is among the candidates on Manchester United’s shortlist of centre-back targets for this summer – reports Fabrizio Romano. Born and bred in Villarreal, the Spaniard is considered to be among the finest players in his position on the continent on his feet, a range of abilities that he showcased during the Yellow Submarine’s Europa League-winning run the previous season – and then repeated in the Champions League this time around.
Despite spending 40 million euros on Raphael Varane last summer, United are again on the lookout for a new central defender, with the futures of both Phil Jones and Eric Bailly unclear. Torres is reportedly among the “three or four” players the Red Devils are evaluating ahead of a potential summer move.
However, any action will depend upon new manager Erik ten Hag and his requirements. To that end, Jurrien Timber, a mainstay in ten Hag’s Ajax defence, has also been linked continuously with the Old Trafford-based club.
But, United aren’t the only Premier League club after Torres; Chelsea, too, have him in their sights as they look to refurbish ageing, disintegrating backline. The Blues could lose as many as three senior centre-backs this summer, with Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and Cesar Azpilicueta closing in on an exit.
As such, the priority for the Londoners is reinforcements to the backline, and Torres, along with the likes of Jules Kounde (Sevilla) and Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), is a potential target.
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Romano claims that Torres has a release clause in his current contract, with its value in the 55-60 million region. That makes negotiating with Villarreal a straightforward process, but agreeing on personal terms with the player is another hurdle altogether.
The 25-year-old has represented his hometown club 131 times, having come up through the academy. He has also been consistently involved with the Spanish national team, with 17 appearances to his name so far.
