Pau Torres open to Manchester United move
By Tom Gott
Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres is open to joining Manchester United this summer if the Red Devils decide to lodge a bid.
90min revealed recently that United have settled on Torres and Sevilla's Jules Kounde as their top two priorities in their search for a partner to Harry Maguire, with club officials confident that they may be able to drive down each player's asking price. Torres has been on the club's radar for some time.
With Torres, United are exploring a player-plus-cash deal which could see Eric Bailly move in the opposite direction, with Villarreal interested in bringing back a player who blossomed into a star with them in the 2015/16 season.
United are keen to offload Bailly this summer and would happily use him as part of a deal for Torres, who the Manchester Evening News state would be interested in moving to Old Trafford if the opportunity arose.
Torres, who has enjoyed a fantastic campaign with Villarreal, is also wanted by fellow Spaniards Real Madrid, but it is understood that the 24-year-old is not against leaving his homeland and would listen to offers from England.
United have stepped up their scouting of Torres in recent weeks and appear to be leading the charge in England, although there has also been interest in the past from cross-town rivals Manchester City, who were revealed by 90min to be tracking the defender last summer.
However, with John Stones playing his way back into the fold and forming a dominant partnership with Ruben Dias at the heart of Pep Guardiola's defence, City's need to splash out on a new centre-back is nowhere near as strong as it was, leaving United in the driver's seat.
Torres is not believed to be paying any attention and is solely focused on his role with both club and country.
It is expected that any deal for Torres would likely only be reached after this summer's European Championships, with the defender keen to keep his sights set on leading Spain back to the trophy for the first time since 2012.