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Aston Villa aim for cut-price transfer for Tottenham and Liverpool target Pau Torres as Villarreal update emerges
Aston Villa are hoping to take advantage of Villarreal’s pressured wage bill to secure a cut-price deal for Pau Torres, the Daily Mail reports.
The centre-back has a €65million buy-out clause in his contract [£55.5million] which looked to have priced him out of range of a Villa Park move.
But after Fernando Roig Negueroles, son the Spanish side’s owner, reportedly told local media that they have to sell to ease the club’s wages, which are said to be at their limit, the Villans are eyeing a reduced £35million deal.
The 25-year-old “Rolls Royce” defender is “admired” by the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool but Aston Villa are looking to steal in to secure a reunion with ex-Yellow Submarine boss Unai Emery.
Negueroles called Torres a “special case” and a “very loved boy” but insisted for him to leave it has to be “something that improves him”.
Opportunity
If it has now been publicly admitted that exits are necessary that should make it somewhat of a buyers’ market for Villa to jump into.
And if the hierarchy at El Madrigal want to ensure he goes somewhere that is good for him they presumably will feel Emery is a strong bet, having won the 2021 Europa League under the current Lions boss.
The way in which he set Villa marching the table last season upon taking over from Steven Gerrard, to eventually secure European football, shows that this is a club on the up, in addition to the pull of the Premier League.
There is surely a possibility of a compromise on fee that is some way off Torres’ release clause since they are pushed to make moves and Aston Villa are clearly keen.
Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa performed admirably under the Spaniard last season after Diego Carlos was ruled out with injury following just his second appearance for the club, but Emery doesn’t appear to be sold on the 30-year-old having left him on the bench once he was fit.
Adding Torres to his options would seem exactly the sort of move that should help maintain this side at the level they reached over the past campaign, so potentially not having to pay his entire release fee is an opportunity the manager would likely jump at.
The club look set to be ambitious again this summer with Emery linked to various high-profile La Liga targets, and if successful there should be no reason for the standards to slip.
In other Aston Villa news, the club can now bring through the next Jacob Ramsey from a position of strength with danger long-averted.