Villarreal and Spain's Pau Torres shakes hands with Portugal and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo. (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur have apparently targeted Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres as Antonio Conte is eager to upgrade Spurs’ defence and unsure about the quality of Davinson Sanchez and Clement Lenglet.
This is according to Spanish outlet Fichajes (h/t Football.London), who state that Spurs are eyeing a move for the 25-year-old La Liga star. Manchester City and Manchester United have also been touted as two potential destinations.
Conte’s lack of faith in the aforementioned duo is evident with the game time that they are being offered this season. Lenglet, who arrived on a season-long loan from Barcelona this summer, has made just three appearances across competitions this campaign.
Sanchez, meanwhile, has made four appearances in the Premier League. He was hooked in the 59th minute against Leicester City after a poor showing on the day where he conceded a penalty to open the scoring in the match.
Thankfully, Spurs recovered to win 6-2 on the night. Torres has been an impressive presence in Villarreal’s backline in seasons where they won the UEFA Europa League in 2021 and reached the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League season.
Eric Dier has assumed the responsibility of leading this Spurs backline with his experience at the club that dates back a little over eight years. Cristian Romero is another defender that seems like he is almost untouchable in the starting XI.
However, Torres could be a smart addition regardless of the duo’s presence. Ben Davies has hardly done anything wrong to be displaced from his newfound role as a left-sided centre-half under Conte.
But deploying a quality centre-back like Torres, who is a natural in that position, could be a smart move if it does end up happening. Moreover, if Tottenham don’t trust Sanchez and Lenglet anymore, it’s wise to fulfil Conte’s wants and give him a strong defence to work with.
The France international is set to rejoin his employers in Camp Nou next year and Spurs would be wise to add a new defender in 2023 with a long-term vision in mind.