With Matthijs De Ligt nearing a move to Bayern Munich, Juventus are already on the move to bolster their depleting defense and have screed Villarreal’s Pau Torres. Their backline already witnessed the departure of legend Giorgio Chiellini. The Bianconeri will be left with just three pure center-backs if the Dutchman finds a new club.
Their transfer journey has now taken them to Spain, as they eye one of La Liga’s best defensive prospects. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 25-year-old has given the ‘all clear’ to his agents to open talks with the Turin giants.
The Europa League winner is worth €50M according to the Spanish club’s evaluation, with his value bound to rise higher in the coming years. He has been widely scouted by an array of top European giants, including Premier League heavyweights Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Juventus feel Pau Torres could add up to be an apt replacement for the outbound De Ligt. However, it is known that the Italians will be able to finance a deal for the Spaniard only once they relieve the ex-Ajax man of his wages and receive his bumper transfer fee upwards of €80M.
With the deal for Kalidou Koulibaly collapsing spectacularly by virtue of Chelsea, the Bianconeri have turned their attention towards other targets that include Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic.
Pau Torres played an instrumental role in eliminating Juventus in last season’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 phase, as Villarreal dismantled the hosts at the Allianz Stadium in the second leg. The defender scored the second of the evening with an opportune tap-in from a corner kick.