Pranav Nair
Manchester United face competition in their efforts to land Villarreal defender Pau Torres
According to German outlet Sport 1 via Marca, Manchester United will face competition from a number of clubs for Villarreal defender Pau Torres.
The likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus are all keen on securing the 24-year-old. A major threat however is set to come from European champions Bayern Munich.
The Bavarian giants are keen to replace the outgoing David Alaba in the summer. They believe Torres could be just the player to do that.
Torres will however not come cheap. He is expected to have a release clause upwards of €60million, making it Villarreal’s biggest sale of all time potentially.
The Yellow Submarine are aware that they may not be able to hold onto their prized asset. By bringing in Jorge Cuenca from Barcelona last summer, they may already be preparing for such an eventuality.
The 24-year-old Torres came through the ranks at the Spanish club and is now an established member of their starting XI. He has so far made 21 appearances this season, scoring two goals. (h/t Transfermarkt)
A self-goal?
United will also have to contend with competition from Liverpool for Torres. According to Don Balon, Liverpool are ready to offer an ‘interesting’ offer for the Spanish star.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are facing something of a defensive crisis. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are both out for long-term while Joe Matip continues to struggle for fitness.
Their 3-2 loss to United at the weekend once again highlighted the need for them to bring in a specialist centre-back. It would be ironic if we are the ones to finally show them the need to splash out for a defender, let alone Torres.
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Bringing in a dependable partner for Harry Maguire is something United should consider in the summer. While Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly are decent options, inconsistency and injuries have made them both unreliable at times.
With the Red Devils emerging as genuine title contenders, every step should be taken to ensure our weaknesses are ironed out.
