Tyrone Mings suffers Aston Villa ‘nightmare’ while on holiday amid £40m+ transfer news
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Alan Hutton doubts Tyrone Mings will be enjoying his holiday too much due to reports linking Aston Villa with a move to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres.
Football Insider reported on 19 June that Villa are closing in on a deal to sign the 26-year-old Spain international, who’s been valued at over £40million by Unai Emery’s former club Villarreal.
Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa were instrumental for Emery last season as Villa finished seventh in the Premier League and qualified for the Europa Conference League.
However, Hutton thinks that the potential arrival of Torres – or at least the thought of a new centre-back being signed – would put pressure on Villa’s Mings.
Speaking to Villa News, Hutton said: “I don’t think Mings would move on right away.
“As a football player, when you’re at a club and on holiday and hear of someone signing in your position, it’s a nightmare. I’m not going to lie, it really puts a dampener on everything.
“Mings will feel the pressure but on the other side of that, he’ll have to have a good season. He’s an international footballer and he really stepped up his performance when Emery came in.
“But he needs competition and I think if you want to be in European football every year and really push up the league, these are the kind of guys you need to go for.
“We’re talking about Aston Villa breaking transfer records so that’s the direction they’re pushing in. It’s only going to make them better.”
Last season, Emery rarely moved away from Mings and Konsa as his two centre-backs but he also has Diego Carlos and Calum Chambers to choose from in that position.
Emery worked with Torres at Villarreal, winning the Europa League together.
The 23-times Spain international played 34 times in La Liga last season.
In other Aston Villa news, big-name signings are now on the cards after a behind-the-scenes arrival at Villa Park.