Pau Torres arrival could spell the end for at least one Aston Villa centre back
With the report from Fabrizio Romano that Pau Torres is set to join Aston Villa from Villarreal, it could spell the end for at least one Villa centre-back.
Torres’ arrival means Villa will have five top-level central defenders on their books, with Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos and Calum Chambers all under contract at Villa Park. These players are all good enough, and will all want to play regular football, but only two can start every week in Emery’s team.
A report from Birmingham Live states that Chambers will be allowed to leave the club upon completion of the deal, as it would make the former Arsenal man the fifth-choice central defender at the club.
Chambers’ exit seems inevitable, as it was reported by Football Insider back in April that Emery did not have plans for the defender to play a role in his squad.
Diego Carlos could look to return to familiar surroundings, as a shocking injury early on in his Villa career led to him featuring just three times in his first season at the club. It would make sense for Carlos to seek a return to Spain, where he can adjust to more familiar surroundings and be a guaranteed starter with a new club.
Ezri Konsa meanwhile has certainly shown he is good enough to play regularly in the Premier League and could be considered unlucky to be snubbed by England so far. Should he find himself on the fringes of the squad, he will have no shortage of potential offers.
Lastly, Tyrone Mings seems to have become a favourite of the former Villarreal boss, with his ability to progress the ball and use of his left foot making him a valuable asset. Mings signed a new contract at Villa in February so looks unlikely to leave.
In other Aston Villa news, the club have received an offer from Turkey for Phillipe Coutinho.