Aston Villa are among the frontrunners to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres this summer as Unai Emery eyes defensive reinforcements, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.
What's the latest transfer news involving Pau Torres?
As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are 'plotting' a move for Villarreal star Torres this summer, which has prompted his current employers to try and extend his €73,077 (£63,352) contract at Estadi de la Ceramica that runs until 2024.
The report states that Emery is a big fan of the 26-year-old, who could leave the Yellow Submarine in the off-season amid interest from several Premier League sides.
According to The Mirror print edition (Page 48, May 10th) via The Chelsea Chronicle, Chelsea are also keen on the Spaniard and Argentinian boss Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be a big admirer of his talents.
FootballTransfers have revealed that Torres has a release clause worth €50 million (£43.5 million) and Serie A giants Juventus are also hot on his tail in their hunt for a new defender.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti has said that Aston Villa are in a 'privileged situation' in their pursuit of Torres due to manager Emery having previously worked with the central defender at Villarreal.
Galetti said: "We can still say that Aston Villa are leading the race for Pau Torres. This is also primarily because the former coach of Pau at Villarreal being at Aston Villa seems to put the Villans in a privileged position. The situation of competitors for Pau is still quite complicated.”
How has Pau Torres got on for Villarreal this term?
Torres, who has been hailed as an "extraordinary" player, has performed in typically solid fashion for Villarreal this season, helping his side to a fifth-place finish in La Liga heading into their last fixture against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
In 2022/23, Torres has appeared 37 times in all competitions for his side, registering one goal in the process against Sevilla in April, as per Transfermarkt.
In La Liga, the 26-year-old has been defensively sound, managing to complete an average of 4.2 clearances and win 1.7 aerial duels per match, according to WhoScored.
Over the past 365 days, Torres has excelled in comparison to his positional peers in Europe's top five divisions regarding the art of progressive carries, successfully completing 2.25 per 90 minutes, putting him in the first percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.
Aston Villa's interest in his services isn't a surprising development; however, they will need to fend off competition from some top clubs around Europe to bring the dominant central defender to Villa Park this summer.
