Arsenal and Real Madrid given €50m asking price for transfer target

Stuart Telford

• 26 Feb 2023 12:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Real Madrid both want to bolster their defence with the same player next season, but he won't come cheap.

The Gunners and Los Blancos have both identified Villarreal's Spain international centre-back Pau Torres as a player they would like to add to their squads, but the Yellow Submarine want a significant fee.

"According to various Spanish media reports, Villarreal would be willing to sell Pau Torres, whose contract ends in the summer of 2024, for €50 million," report Fichajes.

READ: How Man Utd's Torres bid collapsed

"This price is not unaffordable for the top clubs and would help Villarreal incorporate targets like Isco, Conan Ledesma and Stefan De Vrij."

What is Torres worth?

Torres has become a Spain regular over the last few seasons and is currently valued at €49.1 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.

Villarreal's reported asking price might not be too far off the mark for now, but with his contract winding down Arsenal and Real could also afford to wait.

Torres is a left-footed centre-back and both cubs are increasingly well stocked in the position.

READ: Ten Hag picked Martinez over Man Utd's recommendation

Arsenal bought Jakub Kiwior from Spezia for €25 million in January, to act as cover for Gabriel, while Madrid have David Alaba as their first-choice left-centre-back, with Antonio Rudiger providing competition.

"The clubs that have shown interest in his services for next summer include Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Juventus…" continues Fichajes' report, however.

Such competition could drive up Torres' price, but whether they achieve a record transfer remains to be seen.

The most Villarreal have ever received for a player is the €40m Beijing Guoan paid them for Cedric Bakambu in February 2018.

They have a track record of squeezing maximum sums for their defenders, though - Eric Bailly cost Manchester United just €2m less at €38m when he became Jose Mourinho's first signing at Old Trafford in June 2016.