Pau Torres, a center-back for Spanish team Villarreal, has officially joined Aston Villa.
Arriving from head coach Unai Emery’s previous club, Torres will cost an initial £33 million, the second-highest fee in Villa’s history, only surpassed by the £38 million spent for Norwich’s Emiliano Buendia in 2021.
With one year left on his current deal, the center back played 39 games for Villarreal in the previous campaign and was a member of the Spanish team that qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar’s round of 16.Torres had a release clause worth €70 million (£60.4 million), but Villa is believed to have negotiated arrangements that allow them to pay over a longer time frame, so their initial payment is less than that amount.
Since Torres’ return to the Premier League, Unai Emery has taken a particular interest in him and feels the defender can help elevate the team to new heights as they attempt to secure their place in the European football league.After going through the Villarreal system and into the first team, Torres spent 21 years with the club, playing a key role in Emery’s 2021 Europa League-winning squad.
