Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Pau Torres as Villarreal could be open to a sale in the summer transfer window.
According to La Razon, Villarreal would be open to the prospect of offloading defensive mainstay Pau Torres in the summer transfer window amid strong interest from Manchester United.
A product of the Villarreal youth setup, Torres has become a key member of the first-team setup after a loan spell away at Malaga in 2018/19. The 25-year-old is one of the best defenders on show in La Liga and has established a foothold in the Spanish national team. He has made 127 appearances for Villarreal and has 17 caps for La Roja.
Torres is a left-footed, ball-playing centre-half who has been garnering attention from across Europe. Tottenham came close to signing him last summer, but the defender decided against a move. Real Madrid, too, had been linked but have moved on to other targets now. Manchester United were also interested in Torres last year but instead signed Raphael Varane.
However, Manchester United have rekindled their interest in Torres ahead of the upcoming transfer window. The Red Devils have been all over the place defensively this season, with Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire struggling, while Varane has had a stop-start debut campaign in England due to injuries.
With Eric Bailly seeking an exit and Phil Jones also expected to depart at the end of the season, it is imperative that Manchester United sign a new, more reliable centre-back partner for Varane in the summer. Torres, to that end, would be a good acquisition for the 20-time English champions, who recently confirmed that Erik ten Hag will be their next manager.
And Manchester United have received a boost in their pursuit of Torres. As per the report, Villarreal would be open to selling the 25-year-old as long as they receive an offer close to his release clause amount which stands at €60 million. It remains to be seen if the Red Devils are willing to stump up the required transfer fee for Torres or explore cheaper alternatives.
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After all, they are not short on alternatives, having been linked with Borussia Dortmund star Manuel Akanji and Wolves defender Max Kilman. A big summer transfer window awaits Manchester United as they look to get started with another rebuild under ten Hag, hoping to get back to the gloried heights of the past.
