Aston Villa are in the race to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres this summer and have 'no concrete competitors' for his signature, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.
What's the latest transfer news involving Pau Torres?
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa have made an 'official move' to sign Villarreal defender Torres this summer and his current employers may be forced to cash in on his services.
The report states that Torres is out of contract at the Yellow Submarine in 2024 and it is said that Aston Villa boss Unai Emery would be keen to link up with his former player.
90min also understand that Aston Villa are monitoring Torres and detail that he has a release clause in his £63k-a-week contract at Villarreal worth around €50 million (£43 million).
Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte has also been identified as an alternative target to Torres, with Aston Villa keen to sign some high-profile names to help them balance both domestic and European football next term.
FootballTransfers have revealed that Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus are in the race to sign Torres in the off-season as they look to bolster their respective backlines.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti thinks that Aston Villa could have a free run at pursuing Torres this summer due to complications within Juventus and Tottenham's interest.
Galetti said: “[Aston Villa are] On his track at the moment. There are also Tottenham and Juventus but Spurs, before finalising any market choice, have to wait for the new director. At the same time, the Bianconeri for different reason have yet to understand how all the extra issues will end up. And at the moment, they cannot make any operation on the transfer market. So, we can say that Aston Villa have no concrete competitors in this moment.”
How did Pau Torres get on in 2022/23 for Villarreal?
All things considered, Torres, who has been hailed as "sensational", enjoyed another solid season for Villarreal and it is unsurprising that several clubs are courting his services heading into the transfer window.
In 2022/23, the Spaniard made 39 appearances in all competitions for his current employers, registering a solitary strike, as per Transfermarkt.
As per WhoScored, Torres managed to make an average of 4.1 clearances per fixture in La Liga, showing his agile nature when faced with dangerous attacking situations.
FBRef illustrate that Torres is also excellent in bringing the ball out from the back and has fared well in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of progressive carries, managing 2.24 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.
One of his most unrecognisable strengths is his speed, which saw him clock in at 21.6 miles per hour back in 2021, which put him amongst the top 5 fastest players in the La Liga that year.
Aston Villa are a side on an upward trajectory and being able to attract someone like Torres to Villa Park will only strengthen their credentials as an established Premier League outfit moving forward.