Aston Villa secured the signing Pau Torres from Villarreal on Wednesday.
The Spaniard has built up a strong reputation in European football during his career to date, excelling domestically and internationally.
Get to know more about our newest Villan below…
Homegrown hero
Torres has spent 20 of his 26 years at his hometown team after Villarreal added him to their junior ranks as a schoolboy.
He was a regular at El Madrigal, supporting the ‘Yellow Submarine’ as they endured tough times, such as relegation in 2012, and the highs of competing in the Champions League.
The defender honed his skills with Villarreal B in the Segunda Division either side of making his senior debut for the club in a Copa del Rey match in 2016.
After a handful of senior games, a loan spell at Malaga in 2018/19 helped him prepare to take his chance in Villarreal’s first team.
Torres was a regular for the next four seasons, leaving the club this summer having made 172 appearances.
Passing prowess
Villa fans have fully bought into Unai Emery’s style of play since he was installed as head coach.
Building from the back was a key part of Villa’s identity as they climbed the table to finish seventh in the Premier League, and the club’s new signing looks as though he’ll fit in perfectly.
Torres recorded the most touches (2,560), passes completed (1,846) and most passes in the final third (275) of all defenders in La Liga during the 2022/23 season.
European credentials
Just like fellow summer signing Youri Tielemans, Torres arrives at Villa Park with plenty of experience in European competitions.
The 26-year-old has played 26 times across the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and UEFA Super Cup.
He also played every minute of Villarreal’s Champions League campaign in 2021/22 as they reached the last four.
The crowning moment of his career so far came when he lifted the Europa League title in 2021, helping the Spanish side beat Manchester United on penalties.
Reunited with Emery
Torres’ transition into English football will be aided hugely by the presence of a head coach who knows him so well.
Emery spent just over two seasons working with the defender at Villarreal, with Torres playing 40+ games in each campaign.
The duo helped the La Liga side win the Europa League in 2021, reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2022 and achieve two top-seven finishes domestically.
“Pau is an amazing player, I think he’s top. I’ve been a coach in Sevilla, PSG, Arsenal and I’ve never seen a centre-back like Torres,” Emery said in January 2021 during his time as Villarreal boss.
International honours
His country came calling for the first time in October 2019 when he was included in Spain's squad for two Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Torres had to wait until the next international break for his first cap when he scored just one minute after coming on as a substitute during a 7-0 success against Malta.
The centre-back played in every game at Euro 2020 as Spain reached the semi-finals before exiting on penalties against Italy.
Later in 2021, Torres won a Nations League runners-up medal before going on to play in the 2022 World Cup.
Upon joining Villa, Torres has 23 caps to his name in addition to representing his country at the 2020 Olympics where he won a silver medal.
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