Tottenham open ‘swap-deal’ talks for Villarreal defender Pau Torres
Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their attempts to land Villareal centre-back Pau Torres in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to The Express, Spurs have begun talks with Villareal over the possibility of a swap deal for Torres. The move would see Giovanni Lo Celso, who has impressed on loan at Villareal, make his move permanent in exchange for Torres moving the other way to North London.
The involvement of Lo Celso in the deal is expected to give Spurs some leverage in their negotiations, which is crucial given that Manchester United are also interested in the 25-year old Spaniard.
Lo Celso arrived at Spurs in the summer of 2019 in a deal believed to be worth a club-record-equalling £55.3 million. The big-money move hasn’t worked out for either the club or the player.
The Argentinian was loaned out to Villareal in January earlier this year, where he has been instrumental. His involvement has helped Villareal to a scintillating run in the Champions League, as the Yellow Submarines reached the semi-finals of Europe’s elite club competition.
Torres too was a key member in that Champions League squad, and the year before when Unai Emery’s team went on to lift the Europa League last summer. Torres has continued to develop and is today among the best players in the Spanish top flight.
An important cog in Emery’s machine, the 25-year-old has turned heads with his performances in the heart of Villareal’s defence. As of this moment, his stock is very high in the transfer market. Any club interested in acquiring him would have to pay a premium.
This is where Spurs have things in their favour. Not only can they offer Champions League football to their prospective player, but also they have the weight of Lo Celso to help negotiate with the Spanish club.
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Spurs also have other targets in mind, with Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol linked to the club. Those names however, are likely to cost a substantial fee.
The swap deal in question would likely see Spurs pay little to no fee at all for Torres, which is something Spurs’ Director of Football Fabio Paratici and boss Antonio Conte wouldn’t mind.
