Titled players marked Pau Torres
Villarreal’s progress to the semifinals of the Champions League surprised many. Teamwork, acting as a single organism on the way to the goal – one of the main factors of success. The submarine’s defensive line was of the highest level, and its main creator Pau Torres deserves special attention.
For the attacking style, which puts the team Unai Emery, paramount defender with a good pass and vision of the field in possession. And these qualities are key in Pau’s arsenal, especially when paired with a thinking center-back, an experienced back-up player like Raúl Albiol, who removes from Torres the lion’s share of the defender’s rough work and directs all his potential to the development of the attacks. Of course, we can note Pau’s problems with rebounding and frequent errors in one-on-one play, but Villarreal’s style of play minimizes and mitigates such problems.
Torres is the leader in terms of middle and long passes this season. And second in passing. His second-floor play, defense and offense are all at a high level, with Pau perfectly blocking shots and passes in and around the penalty box. And a masterful dribbling just adds admiration, and the player’s technicality may be the envy of many attacking players.
Not surprisingly, the 25-year-old centerback attracted the attention of big clubs. The player’s contract with Villarreal runs until the summer of 2024, which also includes a €60 million payout, an option that can be activated until the end of the upcoming summer transfer window.
Tops of the APL
According to the latest information, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have expressed interest in signing Torres . Insider Fabrizio Romano notes that Chelsea have already sent scouts to watch Pau play.
At MJ, with the arrival of Eric ten Hague, the importance of Harry Maguire may be reconsidered, and the departure of Antonio Rüdiger from Chelsea clearly pushes for a summer acquisition. Why Man City, which has Dias, Llaporte, Ake and Stones, is listed as a contender is not very clear. Perhaps Pau is seen as a replacement for Eric Garcia, who left for Barça and with whom they are identical in style and skill set.
Also early last fall, Torres confirmed information that he turned down Tottenham, noting that it did not take him long to make a decision. Pau’s dedication to Villarreal, of which he is a pupil, has not yet wavered.
Tops of Spain
In his native championship interest in Torres was rumored to have been expressed by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla, who are still in search of a centerback.
Pau is unlikely to want to swap Villarreal for Sevilla. The money-saving Catalans might be embarrassed by the amount of the fee, and the Madrid side are sending Antonio Rüdiger. Therefore, each of the Spanish options seems questionable.
Player Loyalty and Praise
Pulling Torres out of Villarreal will be difficult, you can tell from some statements that the player is determined to stay. More often than not, such statements are common and expected, but not in Pau’s case.
I play for a club from my hometown, and not many people get that. I stay where I am happy.
I’ve had a Villarreal shirt since childhood. I remember the times when the club just gained a foothold in the Primera and the team constantly sent someone to the Spanish national team – Marcos Senna, Bruno Soriano, Santi Cazorla. I have pictures with Capdevila and Forlan.
The fact that Pau was born and raised in Villarreal, and his whole family lives in that city cannot be overlooked. Torres’ uncle played for the Yellow Submarine in the 1980s and his older brother was at the academy.
Becoming a home club legend, especially from a town of 50,000 people, would be a rare and certainly respected phenomenon. However, for a guy with such ambitions, it’s a sin not to try his hand at a top club. Already in 2020 Pau’s game was highlighted by the coach of the Spanish national team Luis Enrique, who began to involve the player in the games of the first national team.
One of the main tasks is to return the ball faster. And my coaching ideal is to play only in the opponent’s half for the whole match. At this point, I really like what Pau Torres is doing.
He is still capable of improving in all aspects, but already his work looks terrific. He has great tactical instincts and he’s a great presser. He’s tall, he’s a great footballer, I like everything about him.
And in February this year the comment about Torres came, unexpectedly, from the ex-captain of Zenit Vladislav Radimov, now the coach of the second team of St. Petersburg. The Russian specialist attended Villarreal’s match against Betis (2-0).
In general, I went to the stadium not just to watch soccer, but to take some video to show my boys later. And although we mostly watched Betis, I paid attention to the play of Villarreal central defender Pau Torres, who scored the first goal.
I don’t know how much Liverpool’s Van Dijk, now considered one of the best in his position in the world, is worth, but I think this 25-year-old is much better.
An unrealistically cool soccer player! An example of what a central defender should look like right now – just unreal!
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