Journalist David Bernabeu has confirmed via SPORT that Barcelona and Premier League side Aston Villa have entered talks to sign Ferran Torres. The team from Catalonia is expecting around €45 million for the winger.
It is no secret that Barcelona will sanction heavy sales in the summer in order to acquire new players. This is, in fact, one of the requirements that the team must fulfill to get their feasibility plan approved by La Liga.
What is even more interesting is that Mateu Alemany’s potential departure to Aston Villa is expected to be the catalyst in this operation.
The Villans first began to take an interest in the winger after knowing that Barcelona would be tempted to sell him and now they are planning to reach a favorable agreement that will satisfy all the parties.
As it turns out, Bernabeu affirms that Barcelona cannot really afford to sell Torres for less than €42 million in order to avoid recording a loss since they acquired him from Manchester City for €55 million.
Aston Villa is of the idea that there are many ways to convince the player. First, they want him to know the management is quite serious about his acquisition as they want him to become their franchise player next season.
For what it is worth, both Alemany and Villa manager Unai Emery know him pretty well, and they believe he could make a difference in the Premier League, as he has already done during his time with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
As far as Barcelona are concerned, they have put him on the market as they need to sanction heavy sales. Moreover, the 23-year-old has not really achieved the needed continuity under Xavi anyway, leading to the suggestion that his exit will not have much of an impact.
From the player’s point of view, he understands that he needs a bigger role in order to return to the national team, and at Barcelona, chances will be far and between. All this means the exit is imminent and the business can be finalized for about €45 million.
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Aston Villa vs Tottenham Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Aston Villa will host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday, hoping to bounce back from the recent defeats.
Aston Villa were in outstanding form for several months after Unai Emery took over, but they have now crashed to two consecutive defeats in the Premier League ahead of the visit of Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Losses against Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers will have deflated the side to a certain extent. But Aston Villa has the quality to bounce back strongly and pick up all three points here.
Villa are currently eighth in the league table, and they are pushing for European qualification. They cannot afford to keep dropping points and it remains to be seen whether the home side can get back to winning ways.
Tottenham Hotspur are sixth in the league table, and they have to look for a win in the last three matches to secure European qualification. They are likely to miss out on a top-four finish but cannot afford to miss out on Europa League qualification.
The North London giants bounced back from the defeat against Liverpool with a win over Crystal Palace at home, and they will look to build on that and put together a winning run now. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery will be without the services of goalkeeper Jed Steer. Other than that, Aston Villa should be able to field a full-strength lineup. The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Ashley Young and Alex Moreno will be deployed as the full-backs, and the two players will look to contribute offensively apart from the defensive responsibilities. Ezri Konsa will start at the heart of the defense alongside Tyrone Mings.
John McGinn will start alongside Douglas Luiz in the midfield pivot. While McGinn will look to add work rate and drive to the midfield, Luiz will look to win the ball back for his side and control the tempo of the game.
Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey will be operating as the inverted attacking midfielders, and the two players are likely to drift wide from time to time in order to create goal-scoring opportunities for their side. Emiliano Buendia will be deployed as the central attacking midfielder and he will be expected to link the midfield with the attack. Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Luiz; Bailey, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins
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