Man Utd eye move for Chelsea target Pau Torres

Manchester United are eyeing a move to sign Pau Torres this summer but could face competition from Chelsea for the Villarreal centre-back, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Torres came through the youth ranks at Villarreal and has developed into one of the most highly-rated defenders in La Liga since establishing himself in the first team three years ago.

The 25-year-old is also a regular in the Spanish senior squad and his impressive display at club and national level have attracted interest from top clubs here in the Premier League.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with Torres in recent months and renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on their pursuit of the talented defender.

Romano claims that United chiefs are discussing the possibility of signing Torres after short-listing him as one of their 3/4 centre-back targets ahead of the summer transfer window.

Man Utd are expected to overhaul their squad this summer following a disastrous campaign and a long-term replacement for Harry Maguire has been ear-marked as a key area of concern.

No move yet

Manchester United are discussing Villarreal’s Pau Torres as one of 3/4 options for the new centre back. No proposal made yet, as it depends on Erik ten Hag decision and Man Utd board changes. 🔴🇪🇸 #MUFC

Chelsea are also monitoring Pau.
€55/60m release clause into his contract. pic.twitter.com/K3gItr1aoA

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 9, 2022

However, any possible move for Torres is still in the early stages as Romano says no proposal has been put forward yet and a decision won’t be made until in-coming boss Erik ten Hag has his say on matters.

That could play into the hands of Chelsea as the Italian reporter claims that the Blues are also keeping a close eye on Torres’ situation ahead of the summer window.

Thomas Tuchel is going to need to build a new defence this summer with the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta set to leave on free transfers. It means Chelsea are in the market for several defenders and it appears the Londoners have identified Torres as a potential new recruit.

However, any move for the Spaniard won’t come cheap as Romano says that Torres’ release clause is worth at least £47m [€55m], so the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea will need to dig deep if they want to land the defender.

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming months but Torres would be an excellent signing for United or Chelsea if either club is able to lure him to the Premier League this summer.