Manchester United are willing to meet the asking price to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres, El Periodico Mediterraneo (today’s edition, page 26) claims.
The Red Devils have been fancied to sign a new central defender this summer and Torres has been frequently linked with the club.
The 25-year-old was on United’s radar during last summer’s transfer window, but a deal did not materialise as the Red Devils decided to sign Raphael Varane instead.
It now appears Manchester United have revived their interest in Torres. According to El Periodico Mediterraneo, the club are willing to pay Villarreal’s €50 million (£43m) asking price.
Furthermore, the player’s agents are prepared to travel to Manchester this week to negotiate personal terms if United finalise a suitable agreement with the La Liga side.
Our view:
A left-footed centre-back was considered a priority for United last summer. This led to speculation that Torres could join them before they recruited Raphael Varane.
Varane was anticipated to provide the much-needed solidity at the back, but that has hardly been the case. He struggled for consistency last term amid regular niggles.
On top of this, Harry Maguire also suffered a dip in form over the course of the campaign. The same could be said for Victor Lindelof, who is the third-choice centre-back.
In Torres, Manchester United will be getting someone who is good with the ball at his feet. He completed over 86 per cent of his passes last campaign with an average of four long balls.
He may not be a tough tackler, but has good concentration with 3.2 clearances and 1.8 aerial duels won per game. Him being left-footed also offers something different.
United are willing to meet the price tag, but a part-exchange deal could be a possibility. Eric Bailly previously played for the Yellow Submarines, and he could rejoin them as a makeweight.
