Manchester United and Tottenham table €50 million offer to sign defender who prefers Old Trafford switch: Reports
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have formalized their interest in Villarreal defender Pau Torres with an offer, it has been claimed in Spain.
Torres was the subject of serious transfer interest from England last summer. However, the Spain international chose to stay put at Villarreal and compete in the UEFA Champions League.
The 25-year-old's decision proved fruitful as he helped Unai Emery's side reach the semi-finals of the competition. Villarreal bowed out of the Champions League after losing 5-2 on aggregate to Liverpool.
Having enjoyed an adventurous outing in the Champions League with Villarreal, Torres now appears willing to move on from the club. According to Spanish radio station La Cadena SER, the defender's representatives have informed interested clubs in England that he is prepared to leave the La Liga side.
Torres' change in stance is said to have alerted Premier League duo Manchester United and Tottenham. Both clubs have offered a sum of €50 million for the central defender, as per the report.
#mufc and Tottenham have been the ones who have shown the most interest in Pau Torres. Both have gone so far as to offer 50 million euros but of them, Pau seems to prefer to bet on United [@carrusel]
The Spaniard, though, prefers a move to Old Trafford if the report is to be believed. While the deal is not close to being considered done, talks over a transfer to Manchester United have taken place, as per La Cadena SER.
Torres' representatives are seemingly prepared to travel to England in the coming days to hold talks over a move to Erik ten Hag's side. It remains to be seen if the Red Devils can strike a deal for the defender.
Should Torres join the Old Trafford outfit for €50 million, he will become the biggest sale in Villarreal's history. It is worth noting that Manchester United paid the La Liga outfit €38 million for Eric Bailly in 2016.
Manchester United linked Torres could snub Tottenham for two years in a row
Tottenham had a €50 million bid for Torres accepted by Villarreal last summer, according to the aforementioned source. However, the defender turned down a move to the north London giants in favor of staying in Spain.
Villarreal accepted Tottenham's offer of €45 million + €5 million in add-ons for Pau Torres, but the player rejected the move, per @pedromsepulveda.
Torres stated that his desire is to play in the Champions League.
Torres could now snub Tottenham for the second year in a row if he decides to join the Red Devils. It remains to be seen who Spurs will turn to if they miss out on the Spaniard this summer.
Meanwhile, Torres will have to compete with the likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Bailly at Old Trafford should he swap Villarreal for Manchester United.