Romano claims PL rivals are considering a move for 25-year-old Chelsea target

Man United shows interest as Chelsea are monitoring the Villarreal defender Pau Torres

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Both Chelsea and Manchester United are interested in signing Villarreal defender Pau Torres as their next centre-back for the 2022/23 season. The Spaniard is said to have a £50/60 million release clause in his contract with the Yellow Submarines.

This season, the Villarreal defender was instrumental in the team’s run to the Champions League semi-finals. He has been an outstanding defender this season, appearing in 43 games across all competitions. He’s also scored five goals in all competitions, including one in the Champions League, which is quite the number for a sturdy centre-back.

Romano has confirmed that the Red Devils are looking forward to discussing a deal with the 25-year-old Spaniard to strengthen their defence for the upcoming season. Chelsea were already linked with him and apparently made an initial £50million bid, as per La Razon (h/t football.london) around two weeks ago.

Does Chelsea have an edge in this battle?

Chelsea would have to consider signing a good centre back as Antonio Rudiger’s move to the Santiago Bernabeu is most likely to happen this summer. Pau Torres has been one of the options to replace him and Chelsea would be trying to get him on board.

The Blues would be wise to accelerate their interest in the player if they really want to beat their PL rivals to his signature. We have Champions League football on the table, and that is one thing which gives us an upper hand over our rivals.

Given his performance for the Yellow Submarine in the Champions League, Pau Torres would be a useful addition to the club, and his age profile appears to be ideal for offering him a long-term contract to solidify our defence in the coming years.

Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and Cesar Azpilicueta are all linked with a move to La Liga this summer. With Thiago Silva’s age not on his side, the Blues need urgent reinforcements to reform Tuchel’s defence that is set to witness an exodus this summer.

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Even if the Blues miss out on Torres, the club must not give up and instead look elsewhere. Going into the new season with a lack of depth in defence would be akin to suicide and the potential new owners would be wise to address this as a priority when the market opens.