Barcelona and Chelsea have reportedly joined Real Madrid in the race to sign Pau Torres, who has a €50 million release clause in his Villarreal contract.
According to a report by The Athletic, the list of admirers of Pau Torres continues to increase, with the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Juventus all scouting him this season. The Spanish defender has also been heavily linked with Real Madrid and has a €50 million release clause in his deal with Villarreal.
Pau Torres has been with Villarreal since joining their academy way back in 2002. The Spaniard broke into the club’s first-team setup in 2016 and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best centre-backs on show in La Liga, having enjoyed a fine breakthrough campaign in 2019/20.
In the ongoing season, Torres has played every single league game for Villarreal, playing a key role as the Yellow Submarine chase a UEFA Champions League spot. The 24-year-old’s progress, though, has piqued the interest of a who’s who of European outfits, with Real Madrid being joined by Barcelona and Chelsea in his pursuit.
Real Madrid are desperately in search of a centre-back owing to the delicately-poised situation that captain Sergio Ramos is in. With Ramos in the final year of his contract and no closer to signing a new deal, Los Blancos do need to keep their options open, especially with Eder Militao failing to impress manager Zinedine Zidane since arriving in 2019.
It has, therefore, been suggested that Real Madrid are the favourites to sign Torres, although that was before the entry of Barcelona and Chelsea complicated matters. As far as Barcelona are concerned, they have been looking for cost-effective options to bolster their squad.
To that end, Eric Garcia and Melayro Bogarde have been identified as options for the centre-back spot, although Torres would be a better alternative considering his experience in La Liga. Having said that, his €50 million valuation could pose a problem for Barcelona, who are in no position to spend such a sum on one player.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are already laying down the succession plans for Thiago Silva, who, at 36, is in the twilight of his career. To that end, the Blues have been eyeing a move for Dayot Upamecano, with Torres now emerging as a possible alternative to consider, having had him scouted a number of times this season.
Apart from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea, Juventus are also interested in signing Torres, and are tempted to trigger his €50 million release clause. It is suggested that a move to a top club is surely on the horizon for Torres, but it remains to be seen if Real Madrid or any of the other suitors end up launching the offensive to sign him anytime soon.
