Pau Torres in action for Villarreal. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
According to transfer news on the Daily Mail, Real Madrid have shortlisted Villarreal ace Pau Torres as one of the five centre-back options they want to sign next summer. The defender has played a crucial part at the back this season, with the club only five points off the Top 4 spots in La Liga.
A through and through Villarreal man, Torres joined the academy as a 15-year-old. He featured for the U-19 side before joining the club’s B team in 2016. After two years in the development squad, the centre-back was sent on a loan move to Malaga to gain consistent minutes at the top level. In the following season, he joined the senior setup at Villarreal and has been a consistent figure at the back in the past two and a half seasons.
Could he leave the Yellow Submarine in the summer? And would Real Madrid be making a smart decision by signing him?
The Spanish ace has made 109 appearances in the famous yellow jersey until now. His defensive performances have been admirable, courtesy of which he also starred for Spain during their road to the semi-final of the European championship and their run to the final in the UEFA Nations League.
However, Real Madrid are lining up a move for him in the summer. Los Blancos are targeting five defenders in the summer, namely, Antonio Rudiger, Joe Gomez, Jules Kounde, Pau Torres, and Matthijs de Ligt, although the latter is thought to be too expensive. There are several factors to every player, but signing the Villarreal star might bode them the best.
The 24-year-old has had four years of experience playing in the Spanish top-flight and has established himself as a starter under Javier Calleja and Unai Emery. He has played in the Champions League and is still relatively young. Although the same things can be argued for Kounde, there is much more competition for his signature, as per El Nacional (h/t Mirror).
The need for a centre-back, however, could get dire next season. Nacho will enter the final year of his contract next season while Marcelo could leave as a free agent. If the Brazilian does depart, David Alaba or Nacho are likely to provide cover in the left-back role to Ferland Mendy, as the Frenchman cannot be expected to play week after week.
Injuries are also a concern. If one of Alaba, Eder Militao or Nacho does suffer a massive knock, it would leave Los Blancos without any cover at the back. Torres could come in and shore up the defence, not to mention becoming part of the backline for several years to come.
The 24-year-old is one of the best defenders in La Liga currently but has few clubs vying for his signature. Tottenham Hotspur almost sealed a £60million move for him in the summer, but the centre-back rejected it as he wished to play Champions League football. Barcelona and Manchester United were also linked with the player, but neither has really shown any interest since then.
Although a couple of clubs could join the race once the transfer window opens, Real Madrid could move fast to seal a deal. They are one of the top clubs in Europe and are 13-time champions of the competition Torres desires to play in. Moreover, it would also bode well for his family as they will not have to move to a new country.
In the last three to four years, the Spanish club has lost talents like Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Keylor Navas, with Marcelo also nearing the end of his contract. Thus, there is a need to inject quality into the squad and substantial depth to compete in several competitions over the course of a season.
Kylian Mbappe is likely to be the big-name signing for next season, but bringing the Villarreal defender through the ranks might be just as crucial. Don Carlo is assembling a good squad, and signing a defender like Torres shall only help that process in the long run.
