Pau Torres’ arrival will be Aston Villa’s latest statement of intent as Unai Emery prepares for exciting 2023/24 campaign
A brief scan around some Spanish media outlets will give you the impression that Pau Torresjoining Aston Villa is a waste of his talent, but however that makes you feel, it proves two things; this club is only moving in one direction and the appointment of Unai Emery by Nassef Sawiris has been truly transformational.
Villa are backed by incredibly wealthy owners, but are still hamstrung by significantly reduced revenue streams compared to their ‘new’ rivals, who are the traditional big six. There is a belief in the corridors at Bodymoor Heath that Villa can be a part of a great eight, and to maintain their course of progression, Emery is absolutely vital as he can help bridge the club’s shortcomings in areas they simply cannot currently compete in.
Qualifying for Europe was a huge achievement for Villa, but staying there and looking to improve still, will be so much harder. So when Villa manage to get a player of Torres’ calibre through the door, it only fuels excitement amongst the club’s fanbase heading into the 2023/24 campaign.
Torres is well-regarded as one of the best centre-backs in La Liga and has been courted by several top clubs across Europe over the past couple of years. He notably turned down the opportunity to join Tottenham Hotspur after winning the Europa League with Villarreal under Emery in his first season in charge at the El Madrigal.
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The defender then played every minute of Villarreal’s run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2021/22, and was of interest to Bayern Munich this summer. The German giants were monitoring developments after their left-sided defender Lucas Hernandez requested to leave for Paris Saint-Germain.
Villa were keen to wrap up a deal for Torres early in the summer window after receiving the green light from the centre-back, who gave Emery assurances that he was willing to finally depart his boyhood club. Torres would only leave Villarreal for the right project, and now that he is entering his prime years as a Spain international, he is ready for a new challenge.
It’s testament to his quality and character that he has been named in several national team squads for Spain, including in EURO 2020 and at the 2022 World Cup, given that he plays for a smaller Spanish club. It’s historically unusual that these teams are represented in the Spain squad.
He has made a total of 23 appearances for Spain since scoring on his debut in a 7-0 win over Malta in November 2019. At that point in time, Villa had just lost three games in a row following promotion back to the top-flight. The club has come a long, long way in the space of five years since Sawiris and Wes Edens completed a takeover.
They had a five year plan to reach Europe, but it was never going to be straightforward and there have been plenty of bumps along the way, but the appointment of Emery has been transformational. Villa are backing their head coach to make this a special chapter in the club’s history, as we approach its 150-year anniversary.
Emery picked up a group of players who had won three of their first 13 league games, and at the time of Steven Gerrard’s sacking, Villa were sitting above the relegation zone on goals scored. But Emery couldn’t have picked up any group of players and worked his magic, he needed a team who were willing to buy into his ideas and believe in his philosophy.
Villa have clearly recruited the right profile of players given the job Emery has managed to perform in the past seven months. From back to front, there’s an argument to be made that Emery has improved every single player he inherited in the current squad since joining back in November.
Recruiting Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer was a major coup for Villa last season, and now, Torres is a fresh statement of intent. Emery has proven that he can be trusted to spend money after signing a left-back who has transformed how his side plays, and the arrival of Torres could have a similar effect.
Of all centre-backs in La Liga last season, Torres recorded the most touches (2,560), passes completed (1,846), passes into the final third (275), through balls (eight) and take-ons completed (26). He also created the second most chances (14) of all centre-backs in La Liga last term.
Torres also registered the 10th most progressive passes at 197 of all La Liga players throughout the league campaign. He made up 7,623 yards in progressive carrying distance, which was bettered by only two players in Europe’s top five leagues. He will play a crucial role in how Villa build-up and progress the ball through the thirds.
The luxury Emery now has is that he can play two of four top centre-backs, in Torres, Tyrone Mings, Diego Carlos and Ezri Konsa in a back-four, or utilise three of their skill sets to operate in a back-three, be it from the start of a game, or to change an approach during a match.
He used a wing-back system at Arsenal, but rarely deviates from the system that he first employs after joining a club. What we do know is that Villa are super ambitious, and the impending arrival of Torres is the latest demonstration of that.
Emery is determined to win trophies during his tenure at Villa and qualify for the Champions League. Villa haven’t lifted silverware for 27 years, but under Emery, hope that the club will soon win a trophy has turned to expectation.
