Aston Villa have agreed a deal with Villarreal to sign Pau Torres, with the Spain defender expected to cost around £35m in a move that reunites him with Unai Emery.
Torres is believed to have agreed personal terms for the move, with Villarreal having accepted Villa’s offer for a player who is out of contract at the end of next season after talks on Thursday. He was Emery’s main summer target and the move means the 26-year-old will add considerable defensive depth to Villa’s squad.
Torres, who has 23 caps for Spain, had been tracked by Bayern Munich after his impressive performances in La Liga last season. But with the German champions now set to sign Napoli’s Kim Min-jae for €50m (£43m), Torres will link up with Emery once more after the manager spent two years in charge of Villarreal.
A product of the Spanish club’s youth system, Torres has made more than 170 appearances for Villarreal and was part of Spain’s squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Bayern’s move for Kim – the South Korea defender has agreed a five-year deal with the German champions – will allow Paris Saint-Germain to complete the transfer of the France defender Lucas Hernandez. The 27-year-old is also expected to cost around €50m.
