Aston Villa could be set to return to the old club of their new manager for defensive reinforcements…
What’s the latest?
According to journalist Graham Hunter, Pau Torres could be the man that Unai Emery tempts to Villa Park.
Speaking on the For the Love of Paul McGrath podcast, he said: “Villarreal are a club which are not desperate to sell, but do trade. They do trade and they do want their accounts kept in order. They don’t want debt. So you are right to say that there are opportunities.
“Price-wise it could happen, and there’ll come a stage at which Villarreal do sell him. If he [Emery] performs well, if he settles, if it’s looking positive at Villa Park, you do have the capacity to go back and sign well in LaLiga.”
The Spaniard was subject to heavy Premier League interest over the summer, and reportedly has a £42.6m release clause in his contract, which is likely what they would demand.
Emery’s dream signing
Of all the players that Emery would want to bring with him to the Midlands, Torres likely headlines that list.
He is so fond of the central defender that he himself dubbed him an “amazing player”.
The 21-cap international has been a stalwart at the back for the Yellow Submarine, earning widespread praise for his classy yet domineering performances.
Just last season, in LaLiga he was averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.09 whilst helping his side keep 11 clean sheets.
The 25-year-old was instrumental in their defensive solidity yet had the quality to play out from the back too. He averaged an 89% dribble success rate and an 86% pass success rate too.
He would make a fine stand-in and eventually partner for the currently injured Diego Carlos.
To get Torres to believe in this project would be a sensational coup for Johan Lange, who would instantly endear himself to the new manager by landing what would be a dream signing for the Spaniard.
It may seem unlikely with the calibre of interested parties from the summer, but if it was to be pulled off it would mark a huge statement of intent from Emery and Villa.