Everton 'interest' in Pau Torres revealed as Michael…

Everton 'interest' in Pau Torres revealed as Michael Keane and Yerry Mina claim made

Everton are one of a number of Premier League clubs who have been credited with an interest in Villarreal and Spain defender Pau Torres.

The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a switch to Manchester United in the summer of 2021. That was before the Red Devils splashed out on a deal to sign four-time Champions League and 2018 World Cup winner Raphael Varane from Real Madrid for a fee of £34m.

Torres has risen to prominence in recent years and most notably under the Villarreal's former manager Unai Emery, who guided the club to a first major trophy after a penalty shootout victory over United in the 2021 Europa League final.

But according to 90min, Everton could make a move for the 21-cap Spain defender due to their "long-standing interest". However, in order to fund a move for the La Liga star, the report claims Michael Keane and Yerry Mina could be "moved on" as manager Frank Lampard streamlines his squad ahead of the second half of the Premier League season.

Villarreal are said to have "braced" themselves to lose Torres, who has been included in Spain's squad for the World Cup, on the condition that they receive a club-record fee. A figure of £55m is mentioned in the report.

The Blues ended the first half of their campaign - after appearing to turn a corner with a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace last month - on catastrophic terms as they suffered back-to-back defeats at Bournemouth, in the League Cup and the Premier League.

Lampard came in for a bout of serious criticism after his decision to heavily rotate for the knockout tie on the South Coast embarrassingly backfired as his side were thrashed. But any hope of silencing those critics was brutally voided just four days later as Gary O'Neil's men ran out 3-0 winners in the top-flight clash to leave Everton languishing one point above the relegation zone.

In recent transfer windows, the Blues have made a conscious effort to strengthen their defensive department due to players like Mina and Keane - who were once first-choice at Goodison Park - struggling with fitness and form.

That has led to Nathan Patterson, Vitalii Mykolenko, Conor Coady and James Tarkowski all moving to Everton in 2022. The quartet helped the Blues boast the best defensive record in the Premier League after the opening weeks of the season, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all conceding more goals than Lampard's team by the end of September.

Everton are said to have a £4.5m option to make Coady's loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers permanent next summer after former manager Bruno Lage loaned the England international out last summer.

As a left-footed, ball-playing centre-back, Torres epitomises the modern-day defender; assured in possession, capable of finding a pass and entrusted with defending in one-on-one situations.

However, with the defender's stock rising year-on-year due to the success of the Castellon-based outfit - not least reaching the last four of the Champions League last season - any pursuit will undoubtedly be met with fierce competition. United, Wolves, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, now under the command of Torres' former Villarreal boss Emery, are also said to be interested.

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