Villa sign Spain defender Torres from Villarreal

Aston Villa have signed Spain international centre back Pau Torres from Villarreal for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

British media reported Torres had a release clause of 70 million euros ($77.64 million) but with a year left on his contract with Villarreal, the English side have agreed a fee in the region of 31.5 million pounds ($40.88 million).

"The 26-year-old defender, who has been capped on 23 occasions for his country, arrives at Villa for an undisclosed fee," Villa said in a statement.

"A native of Villarreal, Torres came through the ranks of his hometown club and went on to become a key player for the La Liga side."

Torres won the Europa League with Villarreal under current Villa boss Unai Emery when they beat Manchester United in the 2021 final.

He joins Youri Tielemans among Villa's close season recruits after the midfielder joined from Leicester City as they add experience ahead of their Europa Conference League campaign.

($1 = 0.9016 euros)

($1 = 0.7705 pounds)