Barcelona have begun discussions for Villarreal defender and Spain international Pau Torres to bolster their backline, report Diario Sport.
The 23-year-old has started 25 of the Yellow Submarine’s games to date this campaign and made his debut for the Spanish national team in November – replacing Sergio Ramos in the 7-0 win over Malta, when he also netted.
A report from November in The Sun claimed Torres has been identified by Arsenal, subsequent reports in the Daily Telegraph and ESPN spoke of interest from Manchester City – who are short of numbers in the position.
Torres broke onto the scene last season when he starred on a loan spell at second tier Malaga, where he made 40 appearances, and has now impressed in Villarreal’s back four.
It is claimed Torres has a €50m release clause at Villarreal, where he is under contract until 2023, but his price may be negotiated beneath that value.
The latest report states that the Catalan giants have held informal negotiations for the defender but discussions have not advanced beyond that stage at this point.
