Arsenal are exploring the option of signing Pau Torres from Villarreal after missing out this summer.
Gabriel who has established a solid foundation with William Saliba has been a subject of interest to Juventus with Matthijs De Ligt leaving for Bayern Munich. He is valued at around £50m which put off Juventus in the summer.
The Gunners have maintained a consistent defensive lineup which has helped them record seven wins out of eight at the start of the Premier League campaign this season.
Mikel Arteta and Edu seemed to have found a solid strategy to sign young, hungry and talented players to improve the squad.
Manchester United had also considered Pau Torres before they signed Lisandro Martinez. With Harry Maguire’s future in doubt, Pau Torres is definitely a possibility to provide competition to the Raphael Varane-Lisandro Martinez pair.
Player Profile
After an impressive loan spell with Malaga in the 2018 season, Torres has been a mainstay at Villarreal. The Spanish international has made 143 appearances in all competitions for the Yellow Submarines (stats via transfermarkt). Torres was also a part of Luis Enrique’s Spanish national side in the Euro 2020.
Being left-footed, Pau Torres is mainly known for his ball-playing abilities like Virgil van Dijk. The defender ranks in the 90th percentile for progressive passes and progressive carries (stats via Fbref).
Torres is also the primary ball progressor in Unai Emery’s system. No outfielder in the Villarreal side has covered more distance from progressive carries or progressive passes. He had 5 goals and an assist to his name in the league last season (stats via Transfermarkt).
Defensively, the 25-year-old has a few issues. Torres isn’t great in the air and wins only 65.3% of his aerial duels. The 2021 Europa League winner records less than one successful tackle every game. He has substantially improved in his 1v1 defending but struggles to play in a higher line.
The 25-year-old has excelled on the left side of the defence in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 set-up. The Spaniard is one of the best in the world in terms of his passing ability, especially as a defender. Torres is an asset in driving the ball forward and distributing play for his club and the Spanish National Team.
🗣️ @FabrizioRomano on #Arsenal’s interest in Pau Torres this summer: “Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs explored this possibility but didn’t want to spend €40-45m. It’s a very good opportunity on the market; he has experience, quality, left footed. A very good CB.” [via @caughtoffside] pic.twitter.com/QhKLfWrX0W
— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) September 26, 2022
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Verdict
Arsenal will have to make a quick decision with rivals Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte also interested in the Spanish defender to improve his team alongside Man United and Chelsea.
Despite outlining his pride at playing for his hometown club, Torres surely won’t stay at Villarreal forever. At 25, he’s maturing as a player and coming to the stage where he may need to move for the good of his career.
The Yellow Submarine surprised many by reaching the Champions League semi-finals last season. That impressive run saw them knock out Bayern Munich and Juventus, before coming up short against Liverpool in the last four.
His deal at El Madrigal expires in summer 2024 and the club will be anxious to tie him down to a new deal as soon as possible.
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