Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will not rule out a possible move for Villarreal star man Pau Torres this summer – but insists it will cost a lot to get him to the Premier League.
Spurs have been looking to bring in a new elite centre-back to play alongside Cristian Romero and Eric Dier next season, but have failed to sign top target Alessandro Bastoni, who is set to stay at Inter. However, they may have found luck with backup option Clement Lenglet, who is rumoured to be joining Spurs on a loan deal soon.
And Antonio Conte’s pursuit of a new defender might not stop there, as Mokbel believes Spurs could make a move for Torres – though it will cost a lot of money for a player who is not at the top of their list this summer.
He said on the Last Word on Spurs podcast, “I have heard Torres quite strongly with Tottenham, certainly at the start of the summer, as an alternative to the other centre-halves that we’ve mentioned.
“As you say though, getting Torres out the door at Villarreal would certainly take a lot of money, and whether the funds are there to spend that amount of money on someone who is not at the very top of their list, I’m not sure. But that’s not one I would be rushing to rule out.”
TIF Thoughts on Torres to Spurs…
While missing out on a player like Bastoni, bringing in both Lenglet and Torres is a great backup option for the Lilywhites. Torres was integral to Villarreal’s incredible Champions League semi-final run and has since garnered interest from Spurs’ Premier League rivals Manchester United as well.
Last season, Torres, who is faster than Gareth Bale, scored six goals for the Spanish side in all competitions and ranked in the 99th percentile for dribbles competed, the 97th for non-penalty goals and the 90th for both progressive carries and passes per game compared to other centre-backs in the top five leagues (as per FBRef)
It was previously reported by Sky Italia (via TEAMtalk) that Torres could cost around £42m, but they could use Villarreal target Giovani Lo Celso as part of the deal to bring that fee down following his loan spell. Not signing Bastoni was always going to be a big hit for Spurs, but acquiring Torres could be the next best thing for Conte’s side.
Would Torres shine at Spurs?Yes
No
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