Aston Villa beat Man Utd to game-changing signing as Unai Emery reunites with trophy-winner

Aston Villa have officially announced the signing of highly-rated Spain international centre-back Pau Torres for an ‘undisclosed fee.’

Unai Emery has had the 26-year-old on his radar for some time and knows him well from their time together at Villarreal.

Torres’ recent performances for the Spanish club have gained him a reputation as one of the best defenders in LaLiga. So, he could be a game-changing addition for Aston Villa.

Emery guided the Villains to a seventh-place finish last season. As a result, they will be competing in Europe for the first time since 2011.

Now, the manager is looking to build on that by improving his squad this summer.

Aston Villa have been linked with several exciting players recently. For example, they have recently emerged as contenders to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, who is also a target for Newcastle.

But, Torres has always been Emery’s priority signing. Now that the deal is done, the manager can switch his attention to bringing in other players, as he prepares for what could be a big season for the Villains.

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Aston Villa secure Torres signing

As confirmed by Aston Villa’s official website, the Midlands club have signed Torres for an ‘undisclosed fee.’

Although, previous reports suggest the fee is around £35m including add-ons.

The move is ‘subject to international clearance and a successful visa application.’ But this isn’t expected to be a problem.

Man Utd were also interested in signing Torres this summer. So, it is a major coup for Aston Villa to get a deal over the line for him.

As mentioned, Torres is a player Emery knows very well. The centre-back lifted the Europa League in 2021 under the guidance of Emery, and helped Villarreal reach the semi-finals of the Champions League a year later.

With that in mind, Aston Villa fans will be hoping he can have a similar impact at Villa Park next season.

Overall, the Spaniard made 173 appearances for Villarreal, scoring 12 goals in the process.

Now, the question is who Torres will replace in Emery’s starting XI. Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa were superb last season, so the manager faces a difficult decision over who to drop.

It seems likely, though, that Torres will be one of the first names on the team sheet next season.

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