Transfer News: Real Madrid eye Manchester United target Pau Torres to replace Raphael Varane
According to Spanish outlet AS (h/t ESPN), Real Madrid are eyeing one of Jules Kounde or Pau Torres to replace Raphael Varane, who is set to join Manchester United.
The French centre-back will be a United player this year after his contract was nearing its end and Los Blancos wanted to avoid losing him on a free transfer. But they are now looking to replace the 28-year-old.
Sergio Ramos has also left the club to join PSG, and Madrid want Sevilla’s Kounde or Villarreal’s Torres to fill in this gap that has emerged in their defence. Torres has been linked with United recently before they snapped up a deal for Varane.
He has a release clause of €65million and the 24-year-old is not unknown to the Red Devils. He was a part of the Yellow Submarines outfit that trumped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men in the UEFA Europa League final this year.
Madrid want Torres
Madrid are also eyeing 22-year-old Jules Kounde, who is a transfer target for Chelsea. But their attention on Torres can be detrimental to United’s potential hopes of landing the Spaniard, if there are any.
The team can certainly use another centre-back for depth. Varane and Harry Maguire would undoubtedly be the starters but someone like Torres can be a good option to offer them competition for minutes.
Moreover, at 24, he would future-proof the defence as well and his value in the short term can also be felt considering Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly‘s inconsistency with injuries.
More Manchester United News:
- Manchester United have received a response from Tottenham in regards to signing Harry Kane this summer
- Transfer News: PSG are set to end their interest in Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba
- Dimitar Berbatov urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to make one more addition to his Manchester United squad
But Torres has a considerable release clause, so if the Red Devils end up missing out on him to Real Madrid, or whichever team it turns out to be, fans should still be content with the business United have done so far.