According to Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham, the club could now make a move for Villarreal defender Pau Torres after missing out on Alessandro Bastoni.
The Lowdown: Spurs confident of Torres deal
Despite still having two years remaining on his current contract with the La Liga outfit, a recruitment source told Football Insider just last month that the Spanish giants are expecting to cash in on the 25-year-old this summer.
The same source also claimed that the centre-back could be signed for a fee in the region of the £45m mark, with Fabio Paratici growing confident of being able to secure his services at a discount from his £55m release clause.
This comes after news has emerged within the last week, as confirmed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, that Spurs’ previous target, Bastoni, is expected to stay at Inter.
The Latest: Wenham’s praise for Torres
Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham said he has been 'blown away' when watching Torres, urging Spurs to make the 'huge' upgrade by signing him.
“Possibly, I have seen some people seem unconvinced by Torres.
“Online I have seen stats guys say he maybe isn’t physically strong enough for the Premier league but personally, whenever I have seen him play he has looked very, very good.
“In a Europa League game against Man United, I was blown away by him. On the ball, his leadership skills, he looked a really good player.
“He regularly starts for Spain as well so if Conte and Paratici want him, who are we to question them?
“Torres would be a huge upgrade for our defence.“
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The Verdict: Second time lucky?
Torres, who was once dubbed an “extraordinary” talent by former Villarreal midfielder Javi Calleja, made a total of 33 appearances in La Liga this season, making six goal contributions and averaging 3.1 clearances per game, alongside winning 1.8 of his aerial duels, via WhoScored, firmly squashing any fears that he isn’t physically strong enough.
It’s thought that Antonio Conte is looking for a new central defender as part of his squad rebuild ahead of the start of the new term, and after suffering a huge blow in their pursuit of Bastoni, it doesn’t come as any shock to see Spurs turning their attention elsewhere to find their ideal fit.
Tottenham did actually try to sign the 6 foot 2 colossus last year, but he resisted the urge to join as a result of wanting to play Champions League football - with that carrot now dangling from N17, could it be a case of second time lucky?