Aston Villa target Pau Torres is set to have his medical and complete his move to the Premier League this week, according to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas.
Is Pau Torres an Aston Villa player yet?
The Spain international isn’t out of contract with the Yellow Submarines until the end of next season, but after 90min reported that he is keen to embark on a new adventure during this window, Unai Emery has been eyeing a reunion practically ever since.
Football Insider initially claimed that the Midlands outfit had made contact to enquire about a deal for the centre-back who was highlighted as a top target, and it wasn’t long before a breakthrough in negotiations after Sky Sports stated that the two parties were in advanced talks.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein most recently revealed that an agreement for the transfer of the 26-year-old had been “reached” alongside personal terms, and it sounds like he could be able to finalise the switch within the next few days.
What's the latest Villa transfer news?
Taking to Twitter on Sunday evening, Thomas confirmed that Torres will fly to England to undergo his medical tests this week to seal his move to Aston Villa. He wrote:
“Pau Torres is expected to travel to the Midlands next week to complete an initial £33m move from #Villarreal to #AstonVilla.”
Emery is not only a compatriot of Torres but he will also already know what he’s capable of having managed him during his time at Villarreal, and having been dubbed a “dream” signing for a Premier League club by content creator Ryan Haber, the centre-back would be a fantastic acquisition.
The World Cup participant averaged 4.1 clearances, 1.7 aerial wins and 1.3 tackles per game last season in La Liga, via WhoScored, so was a real rock at the heart of the backline both on and off the ground, but he equally has an eye on making a positive impact driving forward.
The 6 foot 2 titan ranked in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and the 97th percentile for successful take-ons, so he loves to push his team as high up the pitch as possible and take on his marker when playing out from the centre of defence.
Having been crowned winner of the Europa League in 2020/21, Torres will additionally know what it takes to compete and be successful on the bigger stage – which is what Aston Villa will be up against next season – so he could help to create the winning mentality needed to gain results over European opponents.