Barcelona reportedly failed to secure the services of Spanish international defender Pau Torres for a mere €25 million in 2018.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona had the chance to sign Pau Torres for €25 million in 2018 but failed to secure his services due to a change of guard at the boardroom level. The Spanish international defender is currently on Barcelona’s radar over a move in the summer transfer window.
Pau Torres has come leaps and bounds since establishing a foothold in the Villarreal first-team setup a couple of seasons ago. The 25-year-old has since evolved into one of the most dependable defenders in La Liga while becoming a mainstay at the back for the Spanish national side.
Torres has turned out 133 times thus far for Villarreal while chipping in with 11 goals and five assists. The player’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, with some of the most high profile clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, setting their sights on him.
But Barcelona had the chance to secure the services of the Spanish international defender four years ago. Robert Fernandez, then the technical secretary at FC Barcelona, wanted to bring Torres to Camp Nou, with his price tag being a mere €25 million.
But a change of guard at the boardroom level ended Barcelona’s pursuit of the 25-year-old, and he is now beyond the Catalan club’s budget. Torres reportedly has a €60 million release clause in his contract with Villarreal, which has left Barcelona in a spot of bother amid their search for a left-footed centre-back.
Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet and Oscar Mingueza could leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window, with the Blaugrana deeming the trio surplus to requirements. So even though Andreas Christensen is on the brink of completing a Bosman move from Chelsea, Barcelona will need to invest in another centre-back.
The Catalan giants have several other centre-backs on their radar, with Mohammed Salisu among the players they are targeting. But signing Torres could be beyond Barcelona’s means, and they might feel a sense of missed opportunity after failing to secure the services of the Spanish international defender for €25 million four years ago.
