---
title: "Aston Villa: Alan Hutton backs Pau Torres move"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/villarreal-transfer-news-torres-premier-league/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Adam Clancy"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2022-11-27T12:38:20Z"
modified: "2022-11-27T12:38:20Z"
---

# Aston Villa: Alan Hutton backs Pau Torres move

**[BBC Radio 5 Live](https://icdb.tv/stats/3725/Alan-Hutton) pundit Alan Hutton has backed a potential [Aston Villa](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-news/) move for Villarreal and Spain central defender Pau Torres.**

### The Lowdown: Emery gives green light

As per [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/aston-villa-torres-emery-deal/), Villa have made Torres a ‘top target’ after being given the ‘green light’ by Unai Emery. They are ‘keeping tabs’ on the Spaniard, who is at the FIFA [World Cup](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/world-cup-2022/) in Qatar, ahead of the January and summer transfer windows.

Torres is valued at £40m, as the Villa Park outfit look to bring in a new left-sided centre-back.

### The Latest: Hutton backs move

Speaking to [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/hutton-certain-about-aston-villa-swoop-for-pau-torres-after-38-7m-reveal/), Hutton has claimed that Torres is a ‘fantastic footballer’, and that he would improve the team:

*“Emery is certain to want to put his own stamp on the team.*

*“It happens all the time – managers going back to their old sides. It’s familiarity, Emery knows what he’s all about.*

*“Torres is a fantastic footballer and he’d definitely come in and make that position better and make it his own spot.*

*“Especially with Carlos coming back, bringing in that sort of competition for places is going to really shore up one of the weakest spots in this Villa team.”*

[Aston Villa latest updates! (Copy)](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-updates-copy-2/)

### The Verdict: Get it done

If there is an opportunity for Villa to bring in Torres, then they must do so at all costs. Only Tyrone Mings ([4.8](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/24/Show/England-Aston-Villa)) in Emery’s squad is averaging more clearances per game than Torres ([four](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/24/Show/England-Aston-Villa)) in their respective domestic leagues so far this season, while he also plays more long balls ([4.9](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/344259/Show/Pau-Torres)) than any [outfield Villa player](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/24/Show/England-Aston-Villa).

This shows the 25-year-old as an all-round defender, and having played [over 100 times](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/pau-torres/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/399776/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=5075) under Emery before, it could well turn out to be a match made in heaven.

Nonetheless, new signing Diego Carlos is still out [injured long-term](https://www.premierinjuries.com/teams/aston-villa), so Torres would help fill that position well, and provide competition for when the Brazilian returns.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”415660″\]