Villarreal defender Pau Torres has spoken out on his decision to snub a transfer offer from Tottenham during the summer.
The Spain international has been a key player for Villarreal, helping them to glory in the Europa League final last season, and it’s little surprise that that led to transfer rumours surrounding his future for much of the summer.
Torres has now been asked about his decision to snub the chance to join Tottenham in a big move that would have seen him double his current salary, according to El Confidencial.
Responding to a question about this from El Confidencial, Torres explained his decision, saying: “Because in the end it was more difficult for me to play the Champions League with my hometown team.
“In a year in which 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 is the fourth time that Villarreal has played the Champions League and it is what excited me the most.
Spurs fans will no doubt be disappointed that Torres preferred to remain with Villarreal, though in fairness, their lack of Champions League football perhaps means they shouldn’t be too surprised.
Tottenham have done well to attract some big names in recent times, but it will get harder for them to have that pulling power for some players if they cannot regularly compete at the very highest level.