Tottenham are "more likely" to sign Pau Torres than Alessandro Bastoni or Josko Gvardiol, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

Left centre-back has become a priority position for Antonio Conte this summer and Spurs have been linked with the trio of European defenders.

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Bastoni, who played under Conte at Inter Milan, emerged as Tottenham's top central defender target, with the north Londoners hoping to convince the Italy international to swap his boyhood club for the Premier League.

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However, Spurs' chances of signing the 23-year-old are all-but over after his agent broke his silence following a meeting with the San Siro outfit on Wednesday.

Bastoni's agent, Tullio Tinti said: "He will definitely stay here. He has a contract at Inter, he's happy. It is not a problem."

Tottenham must now turn their attention elsewhere in their bid to bring in someone to compete with Ben Davies, and Fabrizio Romano believes Villarreal's Torres has been discussed by the club during talks with Giovani Lo Celso, which could see him move the other way on a permanent basis.

Torres is valued at more than £50m, which is similar to what Spurs were prepared to pay for Bastoni, while Conte's side have also been linked with young Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol, who would cost in the region of £60m.

What did Talbot say about Torres?

When asked what centre-back Tottenham are likeliest to sign this summer, he told GIVEMESPORT: "Pau Torres has obviously been linked with Man United, but I've heard that because Villarreal aren't in the Champions League next season, they're going to have to get rid of a few players and he's the most likely one that will go.

"I struggle to see him at Manchester United, I think Ten Hag is going to be slightly more pragmatic."

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How did Torres perform this season?

Having caught the eye during Villarreal's Europa League winning season in 2020-2021 and at last summer's Euros, the 25-year-old was at it once again as the La Liga outfit reached the Champions League semi-finals.

According to WhoScored, Torres was the Yellow Submarines' best defender in Europe last term, with a notable rating of 6.76.

In European competition, Torres averaged a remarkable 5.2 clearances per 90 minutes, which was the best in the squad, while he was also in the top five players for most tackles and most blocks.

Torres demonstrated another side to his game, too, with his pass percentage the best in the squad from players that had started a game (87.5 per cent). Meanwhile, only midfielder Daniel Parejo (52) completed more passes every game than his 43.5.