Unai Emery buoyed as Aston Villa take decisive step in race for Tottenham transfer target

Aston Villa have finally advanced in negotiations for Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to a reputable report.

Said to be Unai Emery’s top transfer target for central defence, Torres is wanted by Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and a whole host of clubs across Europe.

The 26-year-old has proven time and time again to be one of the most talented defenders in La Liga and Emery once said he’d “never seen a centre back” like him.

Villa’s head coach spent two years with Torres while at Villarreal between 2020 and 2022 and now wants a reunion in the West Midlands.

It was thought Bayern would prove to be too big a threat, pushing the Villans back considerably in the race, but the Bavarian giants have taken a step away.

Transfer news journalist Fabrizio Romano reports “Bayern have decided to go for Kim [Min-Jae] as priority” and Villa are “advancing in talks to sign Torres”.

Although the deal is described as incomplete as it stands, Romano claims the conversations are “progressing to key stages between the two clubs”.

Emery is said to be vital to the process of convincing Torres, who was previously thought to want Champions League football as a necessity.

As are the persuasive skills of Villa’s manager, personal terms are no longer thought to be an issue, with the project in B6 enough to satisfy Villarreal’s number four.

A full international with Spain and a player with experience in all of UEFA’s European competitions, Torres’ experience and ability could be crucial as Villa look to progress.

Emery’s men will compete in the Europa Conference League this season but want to go further still, moving up the Premier League standings. Torres could play a key role in that.

Update: Villa have now agreed a deal to sign Torres.