In what will come as a welcome boost to Manchester United fans. Manchester United now have a straight shot at signing Pau Torres, the 24 year old Villarreal defender, with no further competition as Real Madrid have opted out of move for a transfer this summer according to a report from Diario AS.

Pau Torres was one of the players on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s wish list this summer and United now have the upper hand in the race to sign the 24-year-old.

Though the Spaniard is not their first choice defensive target as United’s attempt to sign Raphael Varane from Real Madrid have shown, he is definitely a good option to fall back to. The local boy from Villarreal has had an exemplary season winning the Europa League with his boyhood club beating Manchester United in the final.

His performances in the league which also include 2 goals and 2 assists, have also garnered heaps of praise from pundits and fans alike. The left-footed centre-back’s showing in the Europa League final especially has attracted serious attention from some of the biggest clubs out there. This in fact has also helped him start for Spain at Euros under Luis Enrique as the first choice centre-back, a position which has been previously played by the likes of Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique.

The Spaniard however has a release clause around €60 million and we are not aware, as of now, if Villarreal are willing to part ways with the player for anything below that. They surely don’t seem like having any urgency to let him go. The report also reveals that there is no push from Pau Torres or his representatives to demand an exit and that, he will be quite happy playing for his local club featuring in the UEFA Champions League next season. The player’s involvement in the Euros means that any talks with the player will happen only after his duty for the national team is finished assuming that the player himself is interested to switch sides.

According to Manchester Evening News, United are making silent progress over a potential move for Pau Torres in the summer transfer window. The uncertainty with the transfer of Raphael Varane and Real Madrid’s firm stance regarding the transfer fee means that the race for him will be a long battle. As a result United are considering the 24-year old Pau Torres as an alternative along with sounding out other options. Pau Torres was one of the players placed on United’s five-man list of prospective defensive signings in the New Year, along with fellow target Raphael Varane.

Manchester United Transfer News Related to Pau Torres : 

• Manchester United Need to Follow Their Former Star’s Advice And “go All Out” For This £80m Defensive Target
• Five Manchester United Players With a Point to Prove at the Euro 2020
• Manchester United Lodge a Second bid For £34m Atletico Madrid Star; Perfect Competition For Wan-Bissaka?

Manchester United’s necessity for a defender to partner Harry Maguire is an open secret, which is making it difficult for them to navigate through the crisis stricken transfer market. Villarreal are in the driving seat, with the player also not completely committed to a transfer.

So, if they want to get him, it will not be easy, he might however come for a price less than that of Raphael Varane, but United might have to trigger a release clause if nothing else works.

With Manchester United about to spend more than €75 million for Jadon Sancho, It will be interesting to see if, in this pandemic wrecked economic climate, the board are willing to spend in excess of €60 million for an additional defender. Mind you, he is not tested in the premier league yet and the club need to be circumspect in their decision so as to not repeat the same mistake as in the case of Donny Van De Beek.

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