View: Aston Villa should not break the bank for Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres
Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a January swoop for Villarreal’s Pau Torres, but considering his hefty price tag, Unai Emery should stay well clear.
The Spanish international has worked with Villa manager Emery before, with the pair striking a firm bond during the 51-year-old’s spell at Villarreal.
Torres was instrumental in The Yellow Submarine’s run to the Champions League semi-final last year – a campaign which saw them topple European giants Bayern Munich before bowing out to Liverpool – and has long been linked with a move to the Premier League.
Although Torres is undoubtedly a top-quality centre-back, his release clause of £55million is unrealistic for a Villa side looking to strengthen in several other positions this January.
Astute acquisitions of Phillipe Coutinho, Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara in the summer transfer window cost the club just over £40million combined, and it would be silly to ditch this pragmatic philosophy in their pursuit of the Spaniard.
Alongside the hefty price tag is the fact that The Villans don’t desperately need a centre-back, with a right-back and added depth in forward areas likely to be top of Emery’s Christmas wish list.
Villa already possess five Premier League quality centre-backs in Tyrone Mings, Diego Carlos, Ezri Konsa, Calum Chambers and Jan Bednarek, so splashing a club-record fee on Torres isn’t necessary this window.
Mings and Konsa have both had solid seasons to date in the absence of Carlos, who ruptured his Achilles tendon shortly after arriving in the West Midlands.
The team’s shortcomings haven’t been in defence but more in the final third of the pitch – in which they have struggled to create chances on a consistent basis.
One of Emery’s most pressing concerns should be the lack of alternatives to Matty Cash at right-back. When sidelined for a number of weeks earlier this season, it fell to Ashley Young and Konsa to cover for the 25-year-old, so a viable alternative to Cash is much-needed in January.
Although Torres would be the blockbuster signing to match Unai Emery’s appointment – it isn’t needed – and the manager should look to invest elsewhere among the ranks.
In other news, View: Emi Martinez revelation proves why he’s Aston Villa’s captain-in-waiting.