Manchester United’s Search For A New Centre Back Leads Them To Spain

The priority for Manchester United in the off season might be in the more advanced areas of the pitch, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is of the understanding that he cannot go into the new season without an additional central defender.

It is more than likely that Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling are likely to depart to their on-loan clubs in Estudiantes and AS Roma, as well as Phil Jones being up for sale. Whether a club comes in for him is another story, but it is clear that the Norwegian boss is attempting to clear out the defence player-by-player and bring quality in.

Eric Bailly has struggled with injuries throughout his tenure at Old Trafford, but his contract runs until 2022. The Ivory Coast international has shown that, when fit and consistently playing, he is one of the club’s best central defenders – showcasing his agility and perception time after time.

The current partnership in Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof might have led the Red Devils to a third-place finish, but there is always room for improvement and additional competition, hence why Man United are searching the European market for reinforcements.

Kalidou Koulibaly has been continually monitored for a number of years but concluding a deal with SSC Napoli appears to be a pipe dream. Nathan Aké, likewise, has been under consideration, but it appears that across-town rivals Manchester City have won the race for his services, in what is going to be a £40 million transfer.

And so Solskjaer is now looking in the Spanish market, directly at Villarreal’s Pau Torres. The 23-year-old has had a stellar season in LaLiga, with also having made his international debut with Spain in November 2019.

While of course Torres is a classy, switched-on defender, he is also a left-footed ball playing centre back, which would massively aid United’s defence in allowing Maguire to play on his favoured right side.

The Spaniard also has a sharp turn of speed, having clocked the quickest speed for a defender in LaLiga last season, which is exactly what Manchester United are currently lacking in their centre backs. Torres also understands the game in the way he plays, knowing how much space he can give his opponents and not being beaten one-on-one.

Partnered with Maguire, the combination from set-pieces should be deadly, as well as being able to thwart any danger that comes into the box. David de Gea has had a poor season by his own incredibly high standards and but with a Spanish central defender in front of him, he might just feel more relaxed and comfortable between the posts.

With age on his side and glistening career beckoning for him, Villarreal are unlikely to allow him to leave on the cheap. Instead, they are quoting clubs his release clause, which is around £60 million.

The Red Devils are unlikely to reach this financial outlay, but if a deal can be struck, Torres appears to be exactly what Solskjaer is asking for from a central defender.