Manchester City have emerged as the favourites to sign Pau Torres from Villarreal, according to a report.
The defender turned down the opportunity to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, choosing to stay with the Europa League winners.
Torres, who represented Spain at the European Championships in the summer, has come through the academy at Villarreal having been at the club since the age of five.
However, Marca claims that Man City are well-positioned to take the 24-year-old away from his boyhood club as director of football Txiki Begiristain has a good relationship with Torres's close associates.
The report adds that the Premier League champions have been tracking the centre-back for a long-time, but are eager to see how he fares in the Champions League this season.
Pep Guardiola already has several centre-backs to choose from in his squad, including Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones.