It was reported this week Erik Ten Hag is desperate to bring Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres to Manchester United this summer. United have been tracking the Spanish defender for some time, and it did seem as though the club were going to make a move for him last year.
United instead opted to bring in Raphael Varane from Real Madrid, though with more defensive reinforcements required ahead of next season, Torres looks set to be one of United’s top targets once again.
Ten Hag is thought to be particularly impressed by the 25-year-old’s ability on the ball, something that’ll be key as he aims to implement a more possession focused philosophy at United next season. Key to doing so successfully will be having central defenders who are just as comfortable in possession as they are when defending.
In LaLiga last season, Torres posted a pass success rate of 88.13 per cent from an average of 54 passes per 90. Most impressive though was how many of those passes penetrated through the lines for Villarreal. His average of 10.69 progressive passes per 90 was the best of all 111 central defenders to feature in Spain’s top tier last season.
Beyond his technical ability, Torres has a physical profile which can thrive in the Premier League. The defender stands at an imposing 6ft3in. His build isn’t particularly wide or muscular, yet he still illustrates good strength in duels with opposition attackers. He posted respectable defensive duel and aerial duel success rates of 68 and 61.11 per cent last season.
Though strong in one-vs-ones, Torres is also intelligent too. Villarreal often push their wing-backs high which can leave central defenders exposed in transitions, Ten Hag will do the same at United. Torres has a great knack of positioning himself in good areas to slow down counter-attacks and allow his teammates to regroup and get back into position.
The Spain international is left-footed too which would bring another dimension to the United defence, with such a profile currently lacking. Harry Maguire has most often be deployed as the team’s left-sided centre-back, even though he’s right-footed. This isn’t the root cause of his problems at United, but it could be a contributing factor.
For Ten Hag next season, having defenders who are comfortable in possession but also strong defensively will be crucial. Torres ticks both of these boxes, and still has his prime years ahead of him. It’s therefore easy to understand why the Dutchman wants him.
