Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres who rebuffed summer interest from Tottenham Hotspur has helped the Spanish side reach the Champions League semi-finals.
The 25-year-old was part of the Yellow Submarine team that knocked out German giants 2-1 on aggregate to set up a potential last-four clash with Liverpool.
Following a Robert Lewandowski strike, it looked like last night’s second leg at the Allianz Arena was heading for extra time.
But Samuel Chukwueze had other ideas and his 88th-minute goal stunned the Bavarians and sent Unai Emery’s side through.
Torres has been ever present during Villarreal’s European campaign and he even got on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win against Juventus in Turin, in the last-16 second leg.
Villarreal’s homegrown centre-halve was the subject of heavy interest from Spurs, but he wanted to play in the Champions League club with his beloved El Madrigal side.
The run to the last-four has more than justified Torres’ decision to stay loyal.
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“I was informed of Tottenham’s interest,” Spain international Torres told AS back in September. “But I was clear from the first moment what I wanted, and so I decided calmly.
An agreement was reached over a massive £56million move, only for Torres to turn down the offer.
Villarreal’s number four said: “I decided that the best thing for me was to continue at Villarreal. We have many challenges this season that I am passionate about. It didn’t take long for me to decide.
“This is only the fourth time Villarreal (have) reached the Champions League, which shows how hard it is (to quality). It was a dream to play the competition with my lifelong club.”
Torres is undeniably one of the most-coveted central defenders across Europe and interest in the left-footer is likely to be reignited this summer.
“(Torres) is something extraordinary,” beams Jose Benlloch, the proud mayor of Villarreal (Marca).
He’s had yet another impressive campaign and potential suitors will be watching keenly to see how he fares should he come up against Liverpool in the semi-finals.