Spain defender Pau Torres joins Aston Villa on five-year deal from Villarreal

Spain defender Pau Torres is linking up again with Unai Emery, this time in England with Aston Villa.

Torres, a 26-year-old left-sided center back, played under Emery at Villarreal, the player’s hometown club where he has been in the senior team since 2017. Together, they won the Europa League in 2021 and reached the Champions League semifinals a year later.

Torres moves for a reported initial fee of 32.5 million euros ($36 million) and is joining a team that will be playing in the Europa Conference League in the upcoming season.

The arrival of Torres, who has played 23 times for Spain, raises questions about the future of Villa captain Tyrone Mings, an England international who currently is the left-sided central defender under Emery.