Manchester United are ready to revisit a deal to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to reports.
Erik ten Hag is set to be named Red Devils boss at the end of the season, when he will replace interim manager Ralf Rangnick. And thoughts are already turning to what could be a pivotal summer in shaping the club’s direction in the years to come.
Rangnick has already admitted that it will take several players to close the gap on title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City and a defender is understood to be high on the agenda.
The Manchester Evening News reports that along with a defensive midfield player, signing a new centre-back is deemed as a high priority. United have unsuccessfully splashed the cash in an attempt to shore up their leaky backline, but have endured a poor season at the back.
Just last summer United brought in Raphael Varane from Real Madrid and although he has shown glimpses of his quality, he has struggled for fitness in his first season in English football.
Harry Maguire’s form is a bigger concern however, with the MEN claiming that Ten Hag could look to upgrade on him, as well as removing the captaincy from the England defender.
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That’s where Torres comes in and there is a suggestion United could look to trigger the £60m release clause inserted into his contract with the Spanish club. The MEN claim that the 25-year-old would be open to offers in the summer and fits the bill for what Ten Hag will be hoping to build at Old Trafford.
United have also identified Antonio Rudiger as a potential option, although the expectation is that the Chelsea contract rebel is holding out for a club with guaranteed Champions League football.
Rangnick is set to take on a consultancy role with United at the end of the season and has opened up on the scale of the rebuild required. “If you look at the size of the way the team needs to be rebuilt, I mean, it's not enough to bring in three or four new players,” he told Sky Sports.
“It will be more, bearing in mind how many players will no longer be here with the contracts running out.
“I think apart from the goalkeeping, we need to make sure that we improve the squad in all areas. To bring in players who really help the team to get better - again, it's about the profile. What kind of players do we need in order to play whichever kind of football we want to play?"
He added: “That's what we actually did both in Hoffenheim and with Leipzig and Salzburg. But again, this is rather the exception to the rule. It is one possible pathway that you have people who more or less tell the club and the supporters what our corporate identity should be and how do we want to play.
“What kind of manager do we need in order to play like that, and what kind of players? As I said, this role has so far not a big tradition in this country, and I don't know if this can or will happen in the future."
