Wolverhampton Wanderers are plotting a move to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres in January, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Torres up for sale

Despite the centre-back still having just under two years remaining on his deal with the La Liga club, he has been heavily linked with an exit in recent transfer windows, although any kind of switch has failed to materialise before the deadline.

The Spaniard has a €60m (£52.4m) release clause in his contract, and after officially now being put on the market, it sounds like there are several potential Premier League suitors waiting to snap him up.

The Latest: Wolves eyeing Torres

According to 90min, Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui is believed to be a ‘keen admirer’ of Torres and is looking at ‘options’, including the 25-year-old, to ‘bolster’ his new-look defence in the winter market.

Villarreal are ‘unlikely’ to ask for the defender's full release clause, but they will ‘demand a club-record fee’ for his services, which will be upwards of their previous £40m high.

Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham are also mentioned in the report, so there could be plenty of English top-flight competition for the Spain international.

The Verdict: Statement move

Wolves may find it difficult to land Torres in the New Year given that level of competition, but it’s a real show of ambition from Lopetegui to be targeting a player who content creator Ryan Haber described as a ‘dream’ transfer target.

The 6 foot 2 colossus has 16 goal contributions for his club and currently averages four clearances per game, highlighting his impact at both ends of the pitch.

The Old Gold being bottom of the table won’t be an attractive prospect to potential signings, but a manager with a rich CV in Lopetegui could help to convince targets to get on board with his new long-term project.