Aston Villa to demand ‘ridiculous money’ amid Pau Torres to Barcelona latest
Barcelona’s chances of signing Pau Torres from Aston Villa have been damaged ahead of the January window.
Torres has been linked to Barcelona in the past week, with the winter market ready to open up on 1 January.
The Spaniard is currently out injured, with Victor Lindelof stepping in as Villa secured victories over Manchester United, West Ham and Basel.
Lindelof has been singled out for praise at Villa, but when fit, the former Villarreal man is bound to come straight back into the starting XI at Villa Park.
Torres is a key cog in the backline under Unai Emery, so if the Catalans are to maintain their transfer interest a sizable fee is going to be required.
Aston Villa set £50m+ price tag for Pau Torres
Torres is hugely important to Villa and the way they play out from the back with a large amount of success.
Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa may have been caught out in the past two outings, but there is little negativity to level at the 24-time Spain international for his ability on the ball.
The January window could pose a tough one for the Villans to navigate, with a lack of funds and a potential Premier League title race in the background.
Villa could demand a huge fee if they were to sell Torres, which could be useful in the window, but former scout Bryan King has been stark in his feeling that the defender won’t leave B6 this winter.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, King said: “He’s worth £50m, but Villa won’t let him go.
“Why would you want to let one of the best players in your squad go halfway through the season unless it was for major money?
“I think it would take more than £50m, but I can’t see him going.
“He’s playing for Aston Villa, and he’s under contract, so they can forget it.
“Unless he’s going for ridiculous money, he’ll be staying at Aston Villa.“
Unai Emery won’t let Torres leave for Barcelona
Emery has his ideas of how football should be played and is willing to go against that on occasion, when effective.
Long balls and shooting from range has become an element of Villa’s game this season, but that won’t change what he expects from his defenders.
Torres plays a key role in the ball-playing backline that Emery loves, so letting him go to Barcelona in January would be a massive risk.
There is little reason why Villa would even consider his exit, especially with Champions League qualification on the line.
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