Aston Villa are one of the two favourites to sign Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh claim.

Is Torres leaving Villarreal this summer?

The Spaniard has arguably been one of the standout players in his position in La Liga in recent years, also becoming a regular for Spain at international level.

Torres started 34 of his side's league games in 2022/23, averaging 4.1 clearances per game and enjoying an 85.3% pass completion rate, too. The £48,000-a-week defender could well be on the move this summer, however, as he looks for a new challenge while in the peak years of his career.

Villa are one of the clubs who have been constantly linked with a move for the 26-year-old, with Unai Emery knowing him well from his time as Villarreal manager. He clearly sees him as someone who could help take his team up another gear next season, as they enjoy European football and look to finish even higher in the Premier League.

The rumour is continuing to bubble under the surface as we approach the official opening of the transfer window, with a new update suggesting that Emery's men still remain in with a chance of signing Torres in the summer.

Are Villa in the mix to sign Torres?

According to El Periodico Mediterraneo [via Sport Witness], Villa and Juventus are the front-runners to sign Torres before the start of next season, although the player himself would prefer to join the Serie A giants, given their reputation as one of Europe's biggest clubs.

On the plus side, the report claims that the Villans are able to offer the central defender a deal that is "unattainable for almost any of La Liga’s sides", given the financial power they now possess. The fact that his current deal expires next summer means that Villarreal could be forced to sell, rather than lose him for free in 2024.

Torres could be the ideal centre-back signing for Villa, should Emery manage to work his magic and entice him to the club. He is a 23-cap Spain international, which is no mean feat considering some of the colleagues he has been up against over the years, from Gerard Pique to Sergio Ramos, and he has been hailed as a "fabulous" player who is "great in possession" by Owen Hargreaves.

He would prove to be an upgrade on Villa's current options, such is his pedigree - he won the Europa League under Emery in 2021 - and his signing would also be a major statement of intent if they were to beat Juve to his signature.