Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres has revealed that he turned down the chance to move to the Premier League over the summer as he wanted to spend at least one more season with his current club.
The 24-year-old's performances during the 2020-21 campaign are believed to have attracted the attention of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
A recent report claimed that Spurs had agreed a deal with Villarreal for the Spain international, but Torres rejected the chance to move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are believed to be interested in the centre-back, who has said that he is "very happy at home".
"In the end, I was more interested in playing in the Champions League with my local team. In a year when the national team has important challenges and, when you make changes, you don't know how it will go," Torres told reporters.
"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."
Torres was a part of the Villarreal side that suffered a 2-1 defeat to Man United in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Matt Law
