PAU TORRES was on the verge of joining Tottenham this summer before he pulled the plug in hope of a ‘better offer’.
Reports in Spain say the Villarreal defender had agreed personal terms but bailed out to leave Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo searching for options.
The 24-year-old opted to stay in La Liga amid reports Real Madrid are interested in taking him to the Bernabeu next season.
His stock rose after a star performance in the Europa League final as Villarreal upset Manchester United.
Further performances with Spain at Euro 2020 caught the eye as the national side made it to the semi-finals.
Spurs were not the only Premier League club reportedly in for the Villarreal academy graduate this summer.
United were told they would have to trigger his £56 million release clause after talk of a player swap was waved away.
The Red Devils would eventually land long-term target Raphael Varane, which potentially opens the way for Torres to head to Madrid.
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He is understood to see his future at one of Europe’s biggest clubs and is unlikely to be ruing missed opportunities in turning down Spurs.
The North London side slumped to a 3-1 derby defeat by Arsenal on Sunday amid reports Nuno could soon face the chop as manager.
The Portuguese slammed his players for not following orders during a shocking first-half performance that saw them 3-0 down after 34 minutes.
On the bench was centre-back Cristian Romero – brought in to shore up the Spurs defence after Torres turned them down.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
