Real Madrid are in pole position to sign Villarreal’s defensive ace Pau Torres, who is also courted by Arsenal this January.
According to Marca, Arsenal are among clubs interested in the services of Pau Torres in this January transfer window. The Villarreal centre-back has been identified as one of the potential targets for Mikel Arteta, who is keen on undergoing a defensive overhaul this month following a disappointing start to the campaign.
However, Arsenal are not the only club interested in the services of Torres, with the defender also being courted by Real Madrid. In fact, Los Blancos are in pole position to secure his services, thanks in part to their good relationship with Villarreal while the player himself prefers a move to Santiago Bernabeu over Emirates.
Real Madrid’s desire to sign Torres is not based out on the uncertain future of Sergio Ramos. The 23-year-old is genuinely considered as a long-term investment for Los Merengues, even if their star defender ends up remaining at the Bernabeu beyond the end of the ongoing campaign.
It is hardly surprising either given the player’s rapid rise to prominence over the past couple of years. In fact, Torres is considered as one of the brightest young defenders in La Liga and has even played alongside Ramos for the Spanish national side. He is widely expected to play a crucial role for La Roja in the upcoming European Championships in the summer.
Is Pau Torres the Sergio Ramos of the future? ?https://t.co/dfk2YEJcsv pic.twitter.com/tlk2BAB9Ni
— MARCA in English (@MARCAinENGLISH) January 5, 2021
As for Arsenal, their priority in this January transfer window is to offload some of the more fringe players in the team. Defenders like Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis and Calum Chambers have reportedly been given the green light to leave the club while William Saliba has already been sent out on loan to OGC Nice.
Torres. in that regard, could have provided competition for the likes of Pablo Mari and Gabriel Magalhaes. He could have also appeared as a long-term replacement for David Luiz, whose contract at Emirates expires at the end of the campaign. Nonetheless, Mikel Arteta will not necessarily rue missing out on the Villarreal centre-back since he already has a lot of depth in the defensive unit.
The player himself could enjoy a move to Real Madrid, where he will have an excellent opportunity of emerging as the face of Los Blancos’ defence for many years to come. So it will be interesting to see whether or not Zinedine Zidane goes all out for the Spanish international this month.
