Villarreal’s 24-year-old Spanish centre-back Pau Torres is reportedly being viewed as a potential solution at the heart of the defence by Chelsea.
According to a report by The Athletic, Chelsea have drawn up a shortlist of five centre-backs who will be pursued in the summer transfer window in the hopes that they become a long-term solution for them. To that end, 24-year-old Spanish international Pau Torres is one of the options for the Blues.
Torres has made considerable progress since enjoying a breakthrough campaign with Villarreal last season. After an even more impressive campaign this term, he has gone on to establish himself as one of the best defenders on show in La Liga while also becoming a regular feature for the Spanish national side.
Till date, Torres has amassed 87 appearances for the Yellow Submarine while also chipping in with 5 goals and 4 assists. His incredible growth has captured the attention of the who’s who in Europe, with the latest suitor hailing from the Premier League, as Chelsea are showing an interest in the 24-year-old.
Chelsea did bolster the heart of their defence last summer by signing Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr. While Sarr is yet to feature for the west Londoners, Silva has proven to be one of the signings of the season. However, it is important to note that the veteran Brazilian defender is well into the twilight of his career and will need to be replaced soon enough.
In addition, captain Cesar Azpilicueta is on the wrong side of 30 as well, while Kurt Zouma faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge. As a result, it is understandable why Chelsea would want to sign a centre-back and to that end, they have been heavily linked with Niklas Sule.
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In addition, the Blues are also keeping tabs on another Bundesliga defender in Maxence Lacroix, while La Liga duo Jose Gimenez and Jules Kounde are also on their radar. The fifth name on the shortlist of centre-back targets is Pau Torres, who is surely an option worth considering.
What is now imperative for Chelsea is to zero in on their priority central defensive target, with Pau Torres merely one of the options they are considering. It will, therefore, be interesting to see which way Chelsea lean towards in order to find a centre-back reinforcement this summer.
