SEVILLE, SPAIN - APRIL 23: Pau Torres of Villarreal CF celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the LaLiga Santander match between Sevilla FC and Villarreal CF at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on April 23, 2023 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Aston Villa Rivaling Juventus to Acquire Villarreal Ace

Juventus have laid the groundwork to onboard Pau Torres, but his future has yet to be decided. The Old Lady is very keen on the Villarreal staple, but so are a few other deep-pocketed teams. The Spaniard will depart in the summer unless his side convinces him to ink a new contract. His current one is up in 2024.

Per Tuttomercatoweb, Aston Villa are strongly pursuing the defender as well and are the most likely landing spot at this stage. They recently hired director Mateu Alemany from Barcelona. The Submarino Amarillo asks for €30M to part ways with their center-back.

While Juventus are high on Torres, his club’s request, their uncertainty at the management level, and their judicial limbo obstruct any early move. They have reportedly had a couple of meetings with his entourage to test the waters.

The 26-year-old could also become an option for Napoli. They might be forced to part ways with Kim Min-Jae. Such matter would eventually be resolved in the early days of the window, giving them time to find a proper substitute.

Our Take on Juventus and Torres

They surely like him and targeted him in the past. They need somebody of that ilk to round out their backline and relegate Alex Sandro to a bench role, even better move on from him altogether. However, they can’t do much early since they have to hire a new director first. In addition, they won’t know their final position, and consequently their budget, for a while. He’d be a swell candidate to replace Kim given his traits and experience. However, the Azzurri rarely splurge even if their coffers are in healthy shape.

Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football