Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing central defender Pau Torres from Villarreal. The 23-year-old Spaniard has progressed well with the Spanish club, and has so far played almost 50 games for the club after making his debut in 2017.
As per the Express, the Gunners could beat rivals Manchester United to the signing of Torres for a fee of around £35 million.
Manchester United were interested in signing him in the summer transfer window, but a deal did not materialise. Torres, who made his debut for his national team last year, has four years remaining on his current deal at Villarreal.
Torres was a permanent fixture for Villarreal last season and he has quickly become one of their key players.
Pau Torres to Arsenal – A good move by the Gunners?
Arsenal’s defence has looked much stronger this season compared to last season, with the Gunners signing a few defenders in the summer. Centre-back Gabriel was brought in, while Pablo Mari and Cedric both signed permanent deals with the Gunners.
William Saliba has also returned to the team after spending last season on loan, which has given Arteta numerous options at the back.
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David Luiz, Rob Holding, Shkodran Mustafi, Mari, Saliba, Gabriel, Calum Chambers and Sokratis are the options that Arteta has in central defence, while Kieran Tierney can also play there. But, the likes of Mustafi and Sokratis may not have a long-term future at the Gunners and Luiz seems like a stop-gap solution at the back.
The addition of Pau Torres would be a very good move by Arteta, especially if he chooses to use a three-man defence like he has done frequently in his stint as Gunners manager.
Torres is a technically gifted centre-back who is calm and composed on the ball, can bring it out from the back and also make passes from defence. The lanky defender is quick with the ball at his feet and has shown great confidence to dribble past opposition players.
Torres could be a good player in a back three, as the left-sided centre-back and bring the ball out to create chances. The only problem with signing Torres is that he is a predominantly left-footed player just like Gabriel.
So, he would fit in as part of a back three, with Gabriel playing in the middle and a right-footed player playing on the right side of defence. He is a player with potential and one that could become a good Premier League player.