Aston Villa are reportedly in negotiations with Barcelona over the potential signing of Ferran Torres this summer.
The 23-year-old has played a limited role for the Catalan giants this season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in 41 appearances across all competitions.
READ MORE: How Villa could line up vs Tottenham: Two potential changes from Emery
He of course had a stint with Man City prior to that, where he bagged 16 goals and four assists in 43 outings, and so he has already had an important experience of playing in England previously, which would naturally help with his adaptation were he to return to the Premier League.
According to Sport, Villa are in negotiations with Barcelona over a possible deal to sign Torres this summer, with the touted arrival of Mateu Alemany as director of football said to have ramped up talks with a view of a formal offer being made.
It’s added that for financial reasons, Barcelona are open to selling and would want around €45m, while Villa’s interest is ‘total’ and we’re said to be confident that a deal can be done with both Alemany and Unai Emery convinced that the Spanish international would be a pivotal signing for us.
Time will tell if an agreement can be reached between the two clubs, and subsequently if personal terms are agreed with Torres to make the move happen, but it would certainly be an exciting addition for Villa and would address a key role that Emery was looking to find a solution for in January.
Torres would add technical quality, creativity, an eye for goal and a general threat in the final third with an ability to play on either wing or through the middle, and so he would be a smart signing if he arrives, with Villa looking to significantly raise the level of quality in the squad to make us more competitive.
While Bertrand Traore returned from a loan spell in January and has made a vital impact at times, there was a sense it might be a short-term solution for this season and Emery would look to bring in his own options in the summer.
There are arguably also question marks over the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Leon Bailey in terms of whether or not they have a future with us, as ultimately the pair haven’t been able to show their best form on a consistent basis since Emery arrived, and we need more quality in that department moving forward.
It promises to be a fascinating summer transfer window with Emery and Alemany set to get to work on bringing in their preferred targets and strengthening the group, and it remains to be seen if Torres could be the first big name through the door with the report above certainly suggesting that we’re advancing in our pursuit of his signature.
