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Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano believes both Arsenal and Chelsea could soon make a move for Villarreal defender Pau Torres.
Torres has been linked with a move away from Villarreal throughout the summer. Earlier in the transfer window, the Spaniard was linked with a move to Manchester United. However, those rumors have since died down. According to This is Futbol, Tottenham Hotspur too have expressed their interest in the Spaniard.
Romano stated that the Gunners could be forced to enter the market for a new centre-back should Gabriel Magalhaes leave the club this summer. The Brazilian centre-back featured in 35 games last season across all competitions and even netted five goals for the north London club.
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Torres is seen as an alternative by the Gunners if Magalhaes leaves the club, with Chelsea also interested in the Spain international.
Speaking on his Here We Go podcast (via This is Futbol), Romano was quoted as saying the following:
"Many, many clubs in for Gabriel Magalhaes. It’s not going to be an easy one because Arsenal have no intention to sell him but many clubs are tracking this deal."
He added:
“And keep an eye on the centre-back domino also on Pau Torres because he’s always been in the list at Chelsea not as priority but always been in the list. Let’s see what happens also with Arsenal for Pau Torres because in case some top club will arrive for Gabriel could be an option for Arsenal.”
Torres has had a couple of excellent seasons for Villarreal. The 25-year-old defender made 46 appearances for Unai Emery's side last season and contributed six goals and an assist across all competitions.
According to FootballTransfers, Torres is currently valued at around €48 million and still has two years remaining on his contract with Villareal.
It is worth mentioning that Magalhaes was linked with a move to Juventus this summer after Matthijs de Ligt's move to Bayern Munich. Juventus, however, have replaced the Dutchman with Gleison Bremer, who was signed from Turin-rivals Torino.
Chelsea need a new defender more than Arsenal at the moment
As things stand, Arsenal have a solid centre-back pairing in the form of Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes, provided the Brazilian does not leave the club. Chelsea, however, are in need of another centre-back after losing Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers this summer. They have signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in a deal worth €40 million, but will need another defender to fill in the gap left by the centre-back duo.
Chelsea have been linked with a number of centre-backs this summer. This includes the likes of Jules Kounde, Presnel Kimpembe and Nathan Ake. The Blues seem to be edging closer to signing Kounde, with Fabrizio Romano reporting they are 'confident' about their latest bid for the Sevilla defender
