Villarreal defender Pau Torres has revealed why he elected to turn down a €60m move to Tottenham in the summer.
The Spanish defender has established himself as one of the top up and coming centre-backs in Europe over the last few years with a series of impressive performances for Villarreal.
He has regularly been linked with a move to the Premier League as a result, with Manchester United thought to be keen before they signed Raphael Varane.
This summer, it was Tottenham who appeared to be the keenest, with it stated in the summer they were willing to pay big to secure his signature.
Indeed it has also been reported they had an ‘agreement in principle’ for a transfer, while Torres has confirmed himself he rejected the move.
The value of the potential deal has never been mentioned, but El Confidencial provide that today, stating that Tottenham were willing to pay as much as €60m to make the move happen.
They, though, reiterate that Torres rejected the move, and he has now explained again why he elected to do so.
“Because in the end, I was more interested in playing in the Champions League with my local team,” he said.
“In a year when the national team has important challenges and, when you make changes, you don’t know how it will go.
“It was clear to me that it was a year to enjoy the Champions League with Villarreal, close to my family.
“It’s the fourth time Villarreal have played in the Champions League, and that’s what I was most looking forward to.
“From minute one, they (Villarreal) told me they would respect whatever I decided. I am very happy at home. I have a contract until 2024 and whatever is best for everyone, we’ll see.”
