Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has claimed that Villarreal defender Pau Torres ‘remains of interest’ at Villa Park.

Torres was heavily linked with a move to the Midlands shortly after Unai Emery returned to the Premier League.

Reports last month suggested that the Villans' new manager is 'keen' on bringing in the centre-back, although it wasn’t specified if a January or summer move is wanted.

Talk appears to have cooled in recent weeks, though, with Villa centre-back Diego Carlos travelling with the squad to Dubai as he continues to make good progress from a torn Achilles tendon.

The Latest: Preece’s comments

Preece relayed a fans forum for Birmingham Live on Wednesday morning, where he was asked if there will be an upgrade at centre-back by signing Torres or if that will wait until the summer.

The journalist replied, saying that the Villarreal star ‘remains of interest’ while also making a claim on Carlos.

“Emery wants to give Diego Carlos as much time to recover and play some games in the second half of the season. Pau Torres remains of interest.”

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The Verdict: January?

Emery currently has five senior central defenders on the books at Villa Park, although he seemingly wants a new left-sided defender in 2023 to potentially replace Tyrone Mings.

Torres has recently been at the World Cup with Spain and has been hailed as a 'sensational' and 'superb' defender by Luis Enrique, so Emery may see him as the upgrade he is after.

The pair have worked together in Spain, with the defender making 105 appearances under the Villa boss, so the club may look at a January move – only time will tell.