Real Madrid and Manchester United could reportedly be able to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres for a bargain price of just €30 million in the summer.
According to a report from Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, Real Madrid and Manchester United are both monitoring Villarreal’s Spanish centre-back Pau Torres and may be able to sign him up in a bargain deal.
Torres, a product of the Villarreal youth academy, has grown into one of the best defenders in Spain over the past couple of years. After a successful loan spell at second division side Malaga, the lanky defender has gone on to establish himself as a mainstay at the back for the Yellow Submarine and has been an ever-present in the side as they made it all the way to the finals of the UEFA Europa League.
Torres’ progress at El Madrigal has not gone unnoticed with both Manchester United and Real Madrid taking a keen interest in securing his services ahead of the summer transfer window.
Manchester United’s need for defensive reinforcements was laid bare in their most recent game against Liverpool, when without the presence of captain Harry Maguire, the backline crumbled. Both Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly were ordinary on the night, which has been a problem for most of their stints at Old Trafford.
And with there being the possibility of Axel Tuanzebe leaving in the summer, either on loan or permanently, bringing in a new quality centre-back to pair up alongside Maguire would be a sensible from the Red Devils’ part. To that end, a host of names have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but Torres is someone that the club have been following closely for a while and have even had contact over a summer move.
As for Real Madrid’s interest in Torres, the current La Liga champions could be needing at least two central defenders this summer as club captain Sergio Ramos will see his contract expire at the end of the season while his long-time defensive partner, Raphael Varane, is seeking a new challenge, and has coincidentally been linked with a move to Manchester United.
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Real Madrid are poised to sign David Alaba on a free transfer at the end of the season but bringing in another central defender would only hold them in good stead for the coming years, making Torres a viable target for Zinedine Zidane & co.
And, as per the aforementioned report, Villarreal value their academy graduate at just €30 million, which is quite the bargain in the current transfer market, especially considering how well Torres has performed over the past couple of years. Although, the report does mention that the price could go higher if there is a sign of a bidding war between Real Madrid and Manchester United.
It now remains to be seen if either club make a move to sign Torres from Villarreal at the end of the season or look at other alternatives to bolster their defensive ranks.
After the shambolic display against Liverpool, United need to buy Torres AND Varane, selling Bailly and Lindelof in the process.
Henderson did not cover himself in glory on Thursday either, but you hope that he learns from his mistakes.
A defensive midfielder is essential this Summer, Bissouma of Brighton and Zakaria of Borussia Munchengladbach are cheaper options over Declan Rice. Unless he pushes to leave, United need to look elsewhere.
Jadon Sancho appears to be the prime target, but if a deal cannot be done quickly, move on and look at Leon Bailey of Bayer Leverkusen.