As per a report from The Athletic (via Sports Illustrated), Manchester City will target Villarreal defender Pau Torres should Aymeric Laporte leave the club.
The Spain centre back has had an outstanding season for the Yellow Submarine, helping them win the Europa League title and the 24-year-old is expected to also play an important role for his country at the Euros.
The report states that Laporte has been considering his future in Manchester after losing his place in the starting XI. Both Ruben Dias and John Stones have been preferred to the Spaniard by Pep Guardiola.
And should the centre back decide to leave City, the club would want Pau Torres as his replacement according to The Athletic (via Sports Illustrated). The Villarreal player’s buy-out clause was set at €65 million earlier this year.
Guardiola faces competition to sign Torres from local rivals Manchester United who are willing to trigger this clause. As for Laporte, his most likely suitors are Real Madrid and Barcelona.
But The Athletic state that it is doubtful they can come up with the cash needed to purchase the player. They also mention that the current transfer market which has been affected by the pandemic could result in fewer deals happening.
If City were to sign Torres, they would be getting one of the best young centre backs in the world. After the success of signing Dias last season, the Manchester club will be aware of the benefit in having a solid defence.
The 24-year-old is quick, and his passing range will certainly impress Guardiola. The thought of him and Dias together at the centre of the defence is scary for the opposition. It would make the Premier League champions even harder to beat.
Improving upon what is already present is a hallmark of champions and that is what City are looking to do. Losing Laporte would be a big blow, but they have already picked out a top-tier replacement. Manchester City would like to come out of the summer having bolstered their squad. With potential signings such as Torres, they could do that.