Manchester City Identify This Spanish Defender As Laporte Replacement: Good Choice For Pep? | OneFootball

In a recent report, The Athletic’s Sam Lee has revealed that Manchester City have identified Villarreal defender Pau Torres as an ideal replacement for Aymeric Laporte this summer. It is understood that Man City could move in for the Spanish centre-back if they end up losing Laporte in this off-season (via The Athletic).

Torres’ Successful Season At The Estadio de la Cerámica

Torres enjoyed a solid season with the Yellow Submarine as he put in a string of commanding displays at the back. His impressive contributions on the defensive end of the field helped the Spanish club win the UEFA Europa League in the previous campaign.

The 24-year-old registered three goals and two assists in 44 matches for Unai Emery’s side last season across all fronts. Torres gave a good account of himself by averaging 0.5 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 3.3 clearances and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2020-21 La Liga campaign. He even distributed possession accurately from the back after making 87.8% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).

Torres has established himself as one of the best defenders in Spanish football, so it is no surprise that Man City are eyeing him as an ideal replacement for Laporte during this summer transfer window.

Will Torres Be A Good Choice For Man City This Summer?

Torres is a decent tackler of the ball and can make some valuable interceptions for his team inside his half. He is also quick to scan the danger and excels at clearing his lines when in danger of being exposed by the opposition on the defensive end of the pitch.

The Spaniard is a composed presence on the ball and loves to play his way out from the back which makes him a perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s brand of possession-based football at the Etihad Stadium. Torres will be an excellent choice for Man City to consider ahead of the new season as he will improve the quality of their match-day squad considerably and could help them end their long wait for the UEFA Champions League trophy in the coming seasons.

Torres ticks all the right boxes in terms of what Guardiola looks for in his central defenders. He is also good enough to fight with John Stones and Nathan Ake for a place alongside Ruben Dias in the Man City starting XI. At 24, the Villarreal star is about to enter the prime stage of his playing career, so Guardiola will fancy getting the best out of him in the years to come if he can find a way to bring him to the northwest of England this summer.