Aston Villa defender Pau Torres has given his first interview since joining the club, and revealed what attracted him most in making the decision.
The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the top centre-halves in Europe with his form for Villarreal and Spain in recent years, and Unai Emery of course knows him well given their previous stint working together.
READ MORE: Why Pau Torres is the ideal Emery fit as Villa seal brilliant signing
With his defensive qualities and technical ability, the Spanish international is expected to be a dream fit for the Villa boss in terms of the style that he will continue to implement moving forward, and it will hopefully prove to be a pivotal signing that helps us become increasingly competitive.
Torres discussed various talking points in his first interview with the club, but he was asked about his move and how Emery’s influence helped him to reach his decision to join us.
“I’m very happy. I think it’s been a decisive step and step forward in my career,” he told VillaTV. “It’s a step that I was ready to take and I’m really happy to arrive at Aston Villa, I think it’s a perfect opportunity for me and I want to make the most of it.
“It’s a project that, in the last year, has evolved very quickly. When the boss arrived, the team was fighting in a different set of circumstances in the league and they finished by qualifying for Europe.
“I think that was a big step for the club and this shows that they have the ambition to improve year after year, and this year, I hope we can position ourselves higher up in the table.
“With the boss, we have had conversations in which he explained to me the project that he has here at Aston Villa, a project that attracted me. And we had been speaking about the possibility of me coming and we thought it was the best moment for it to happen. And well, here I am.
“I’m looking forward to starting and I’m looking forward to showing my football ability.”
Torres went on to reveal that he also spoke to Alex Moreno prior to sealing his move to Villa, with his new teammate seemingly doing an excellent job of selling it to help convince his compatriot that it would be the right move for him.
Further, he was full of praise for the Villa fans as he noted his awareness of the season-ticket waiting list and the stadium expansion plans, and so it appears as though he has already started to settle in as he looks to become a fundamental part of our bid for success in the coming years.
It’s a really exciting signing from a Villa perspective given the experience and pedigree he brings to the squad, and coupled with the addition of Youri Tielemans this summer and Moreno’s impact since he joined in January, there is a real feeling that Villa are stepping it up and recruiting at a higher level to ensure we get to where Emery wants to take us.