Chelsea Want $56M Star Who Could Be Sergio Ramos' Ideal Replacement At Real Madrid: Report

Chelsea are reportedly planning to chase Villarreal defender Pau Torres, who is considered as an ideal replacement for Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid.

Chelsea want to strengthen their defense in the summer of 2022, which could see them sign two center-backs and Torres is one of their targets, reported soccer website 90Min.

Real Madrid are reportedly keeping an eye on Torres' contract situation at Villarreal. The 24-year-old, who is contracted with his boyhood club until 2024, has a market value of around $56 million, according to Transfermarkt.

One of the most highly rated defenders in Spain, Torres was also heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford ahead of the 2021-22 campaign before Raphael Varane became available at Real Madrid. Manchester United signed Varane before ending the 2021 summer window with the blockbuster signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Torres notably won the Europa League last season with Villarreal, beating Manchester United in the final, and has emerged as a vital member of the Unai Emery side.

Having made his international debut in 2019, Torres has been capped 14 times for Spain and was a crucial part of the Spanish national team's Euros 2020 and Tokyo Olympics campaigns.

Torres rose through the youth set up of Villarreal before making his senior debut during the 2016-17 season. He has so far made 93 competitive appearances for the La Liga side.

Meanwhile, the situation at Chelsea is believed to be a bit complex as all their top defenders are out of contract in 2022 summer and none of them have signed an extension yet.

Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta, who is mainly a right-back, continues to deliver for The Blues anywhere back in the line. Antonio Rudiger, along with Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen, completes the solid defense for Chelsea.

It has been reported that Rudiger is receiving attention from various other European clubs with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus monitoring the German defender's contract situation at Chelsea.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel has reportedly requested Chelsea's management to quickly work toward a contract extension for Rudiger, who has been with the club since 2017. He also wants the Blues to retain Azpi and Christensen.