Manchester United willing to pay €50m to sign player who 'perfectly' fits into Erik ten Hag's plans: Reports

According to Spanish outlet Marca, Manchester United are open to spending €50 million on Villarreal’s Pau Torres — a player Erik ten Hag is particularly fond of.

Fresh off leading Ajax to Eredivisie glory, ten Hag is set to take charge of the Red Devils in the summer. The Dutchman, who visited Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon (22 May) for United’s final game of the season, witnessed their sorry state first-hand.

Before their new boss, Manchester United succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace, ending their Premier League campaign in sixth place.

A number of players could be brought in in the summer, and according to Marca, ten Hag wants Pau Torres to be one of the recruits.

The Dutch mastermind wants to recruit a center-back who is comfortable with the ball at his feet. And Torres, who has always possessed that particular trait, is someone who would supposedly fit “perfectly into his plans.”

The Old Trafford unit are thus reportedly willing to pay a whopping €50 million, which would make Torres Villarreal’s most profitable sale.

Last year, the Spaniard shot down advances from English clubs to play the Champions League with the Yellow Submarine. Having missed out on a top-four finish in 2021-22, Villarreal could have a hard time retaining Torres this time around.

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Pau Torres’ move to Manchester United would make sense for all parties

Manchester United cannot offer Champions League football to Torres, but they’d allow him to showcase his talents in the biggest league in the world. Torres would also get the chance to learn from four-time Champions League-winning center-back Raphael Varane. The Frenchman’s guidance could greatly help Torres ahead of this year’s World Cup.

With the €50 million fee, Villarreal will be able to balance their books (via Sportwitness) and possibly make some important purchases.

Manchester United, of course, will be the biggest winners here. Considering the way Harry Maguire struggled in 2021-22, they need someone dependable at the back and also adept at spraying passes in all directions. Torres is not only an expert at playing accurate ground passes, but his long ball distribution is also quite good.

The €50 million transfer fee is significant, but it most certainly will not make United go bankrupt. Assuming the Red Devils are building for the future, they should not have much trouble spending as much on a promising 25-year-old central defender.