Pau Torres could be tempted into leaving Arsenal amid Barcelona’s publicised interest in the defender ahead of the January window.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are sweating over the immediate future of key defender Pau Torres amid Barcelona’s interest. The Spanish giants are looking to sign the Spanish defender in January, after the season-ending injury to Andreas Christensen, with suggestions that Torres could be tempted by a move to the Catalans.
Pau Torres has been an extremely important part of this Aston Villa side since his arrival a few seasons ago from Villarreal. This season, in particular, the Spaniard has been instrumental under Unai Emery, as the Birmingham giants are in the mix for the Premier League title.
Saturday’s win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a game that Torres missed with a calf problem, was their eleventh straight victory in the top flight this term. While they did it without the Spaniard, Emery will want the defender back in the mix at the earliest, but the links to Barcelona are not helping.
Barcelona are interested in Torres ahead of the January window following the season-ending injury to Andreas Christensen. The Catalans are short at the back, as the club could make space for a new arrival, with Marc Guehi’s name also mentioned of late.
However, it appears Torres is a key target for Barcelona, with the Aston Villa star reportedly open to entertaining their offer. The report claims, the Spaniard might be tempted by the prospect of signing for Barcelona even in the middle of the season, which will come as a big blow to Aston Villa’s plans for the season.
Will Barcelona sign Pau Torres?
The interest might be real, but there are stark realities that Barcelona must face before they can secure the signing of the Aston Villa star. For starters, the Premier League title challengers are set to demand a premium price for the Spanish defender, which may put Barcelona off the chase.
While the wage package may not be a major issue, the finances involved in the deal to convince Aston Villa might be the problem area for Barcelona. Moreover, Emery will not want the club to entertain approaches for the defender, as selling him would be a big blow to their objectives of finishing in the top four at the very least.
