The search continues within the Spanish club Barcelona, for a new high-class defender to support the team for next season.
Jules Conde is considered the main target of President Joan Laporta and coach Xavi Hernandez, but the deal seems complicated due to the intervention of Chelsea.
Therefore, the club decided to develop an alternative plan, represented by one of the names that Barcelona had previously tried to sign in the past for only 25 million euros.
Who is the alternative to Condé?
The newspaper “Mundo Deportivo” confirmed that the French defender remains a priority in strengthening the center of the defense, but if the Seville defender is not included, Barcelona will go to Villarreal defender Pau Torres.
She indicated that the club has been following the player since he was 17 years old in the youth teams in Villarreal, and was about to include him in 2018 for only 25 million euros, but the deal failed due to some technical and administrative changes in Barcelona.
But now, after the long experience of the 25-year-old Spanish international, he has become one of the closest candidates to lead the Catalan team’s defense next season.
Torres has many qualities that impress Xavi, such as his speed of movement, his ability to participate in the process of building the attack, and his accurate and fast passing.
How much will Barcelona pay for Torres?
The Spanish newspaper indicated that Barcelona is aware of the costly price of Torres at the present time, as it is not expected that Villarreal will agree to sell him for less than 50-60 million euros.
The player’s price is expected to be more than 50 million euros, because Tottenham offered the same amount last year, but it was rejected.
As for the Villarreal administration, it made matters clear that it would not stand in the way of Torres if he wanted to leave the club, but on the condition that he obtain an appropriate financial compensation to give him up.