07 June 2023 , 18:17
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Aston Villa have made a formal offer to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres – a year after Manchester United wanted to sign the Spain international.
United’s transfer decision-makers had identified Torres as their primary defensive target last summer with the deal said to be 'discussed and negotiated' with the player’s representatives, who were so confident of a deal that they had even planned their travel to England to wrap up the transfer.
However, Erik ten Hag put the brakes on any deal and vetoed the agreement in place to land the central defender. Instead, Ten Hag got his way as United moved to sign Lisandro Martinez from Ajax – having already coached the Argentine international at the Dutch giants.
That decision from Ten Hag has proven to be inspired. Martinez thrived in the heart of United’s defence, primarily alongside Raphael Varane. Despite his current injury, he was instrumental in the club’s EFL Cup win and their run to the FA Cup final, alongside their top-three finish in the Premier League.
Martinez’s success came after concerns that were focused on his lack of height. Standing at five-foot nine-inches, the Argentina international is the division's shortest centre-back, but Martinez has confounded the critics with his performances this season as a key player for United.
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United’s decision to move for the Argentine was directly ahead of their interest in Torres – who had been identified by the club’s transfer chiefs as a primary target for the left-footed central defender role, a profile which Martinez instead filled.
Torres has starred in the heart of the defence for Villarreal and Spain in recent years (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)Have Your Say! Did Man Utd make a mistake by overlooking Torres? Tell us what you think here.
A report on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser now outlines how Aston Villa have made a formal offer for Torres from Villarreal. That would reunite the defender with boss Unai Emery, who left Villarreal for Villa Park in November. Italian giants Juventus are also said to hold an interest but have yet to make an approach.
Torres starred in Villarreal's Europa League title in 2021 and played an instrumental role in their run to the semi-finals of the Champions League the following campaign, where they fell to Liverpool in the last four of the competition.
Villarreal finished fifth in La Liga this campaign and missed out on Champions League football for a second successive campaign. This means that their finances have been squeezed and they will consider selling star assets, opening the door for a switch to the Premier League.