Pau Torres says he couldn’t pass up the “perfect opportunity” presented by a move to Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old’s transfer from his hometown team Villarreal, who he joined at the age of six, was confirmed on Wednesday.
After becoming a Villan, Torres is eager to test himself in a new country and show his qualities in the Premier League.
“I’m very happy. I think it’s been a decisive step and step forward in my career,” he said.
“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.”
Torres is reunited with head coach Unai Emery at Villa after the pair worked together for over two seasons at Villarreal, winning the Europa League in 2021.
The pull of working with Emery was a big factor for Torres, who is also looking forward to the club’s Europa Conference League campaign.
Torres said: “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.”
The defender added: “Luckily, practically every year of my short career up until now, I have had the opportunity with Villarreal to play in European competitions year after year and it’s something that I want to keep fighting for.
"And if my football ability helps the team position itself as high as possible and that year after year we can play in European competitions, I think that’s going to be the challenge of the squad this year, so I’m really looking forward to doing it here in England.”
You can watch Pau's first interview as a Villan, in full, on VillaTV below...
