Aston Villa has a player who is currently more valuable than John McGinn.
Aston Villa had suffered a minor setback in the opening few weeks of 2024, winning only once in January, but the club has recovered admirably in recent weeks.
Wins over Fulham and Nottingham Forest have helped the Midlands club maintain fourth place in the Premier League rankings, with a five-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur (who have a game in hand).
They meet Ajax in the Europa Conference League’s last 16 next month, but Unai Emery will be hoping that the pleasant distraction of continental football helps rather than hinders his team’s league performance.
The Spaniard has a strong core of players, including Emiliano Martínez, excellent defenders, a versatile midfield quartet, and Ollie Watkins.
The former Paris Saint-Germain coach certainly knows what he’s doing, and there’s no doubt the club is on the edge of something extraordinary, especially if they can strengthen further this summer.
Despite interest from far larger clubs, Emery was able to bring Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres to Villa last summer.
The Frenchman may not have had as positive an impact as his £51.9 million transfer fee would indicate, but Torres has proven to be an astute signing by the manager, transitioning effortlessly from La Liga to the Premier League.
What Aston Villa paid to sign Pau Torres
One area that plainly needed to be strengthened during the summer transfer window last year was defence, as Emery could only rely on Tyrone Mings, Diego Carlos, and Ezri Konsa as reliable centre-backs.
Torres had previously played under the Spaniard at Villarreal, which may have been the primary reason he chose to transfer to the Midlands over elsewhere, knowing exactly what to expect from the 52-year-old coach.
Villa paid £31.5 million for the defender, and given that he had been in two major international competitions for Spain, as well as roughly 150 matches in La Liga, the deal appeared to be a bargain.
Fast forward six months, and Torres has emerged as a key player for Emery in his quest for success at Villa Park, and his market value has risen dramatically.
Indeed, he is one of the squad’s most valuable players, outperforming captain John McGinn.
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