In a recent report, Mirror has stated that Manchester City are the favorites to sign Pau Torres from Villareal. It is understood that the La Liga star has garnered attention from various top European clubs including Juventus, Tottenham and Barcelona but the Sky Blues remain in pole position to acquire him this off-season.
Torres’ Impressive Numbers While Leading Villareal Last Season
Torres produced some dominant displays at the heart of Unai Emery’s defence as he enjoyed a solid campaign at the Estadio de la Cerámica. He has scored six goals and produced one assist over 47 appearances for the Spanish outfit last season across all competitions.
The Spain international has performed consistently on the defensive end of the pitch based on his averages of 1.0 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game in the La Liga. He has also been tidy when distributing the ball from the back, after completing 85.8% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
What Could He Bring To Manchester City?
Torres has a solid presence on the defensive end as he doesn’t hesitate putting his foot into a tackle. Towering at 1.91m, the Spanish defender can dominate his opponent during aerial battles. He does well to earn the ball back for his side by making some clever interceptions. Furthermore, the Spaniard can throw his body on the line to block a few inbound shots showing no fear.
The 25-year-old has had a good run of form in the past couple of years and can get even better over the coming seasons.
A player of such calibre and potential would add more bite and steel to Pep Guardiola‘s defence. He could provide cover for Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias while bringing in more competition to the Sky Blues’ backline. Guardiola would be wise to bring him to the Etihad Stadium as the Mancunian giants remain capable of meeting Villareal’s demands.
