Insider: Aston Villa plot move to sign Barcelona star winger who quit Man City in 2022 following Unai Emery green light
Aston Villa are plotting a move to sign Barcelona winger Ferran Torres in the summer transfer window, according to the club’s former scout.
Mick Brown, who worked as a senior scout at Villa Park as well as the chief scout at Man United and remains very well-connected at his former clubs, exclusively told Football Insider that Unai Emery will play a key role in signing the Spaniard.
The 24-year-old former Man City star has been a bit-part player for Barcelona this season, and would be given the change to play more regular football under Emery in the Premier League.
He has been a long-term target for Villa after Football Insider first reported Villa wanted to back Emery by signing Torres in May 2023.
However, in similar circumstances to their January loan move for Marco Asensio, the West Midlands outfit are now prepared to make a move to finally sign the winger.
Brown explained that Emery and Monchi will utilise their extensive network of contacts in Spain to move ahead of potential rivals for his signature.
Ferran Torres emerges as key target for Aston Villa
Meanwhile, Emery is keen to add further quality to his right-hand side as Brown told Football Insider that Aston Villa plan to accept offers for Leon Bailey in the summer.
Now the former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that Torres’ Premier League experience is seen as another key asset to Villa.
“The manager and his staff will know all about him,” he told Football Insider.
“He’s got that Premier League experience with Man City and Villa would give him the chance to play more regularly than he is at Barcelona.
“Their contacts in Spain will allow them to do their work behind the scenes and probably move to the front of the queue to sign him.
“They could do with a right-winger in the summer, that’s somewhere Emery wants to strengthen.
“Bailey and his other options come into the side, they do what they do, but they’re not a shoo-in to play every week and that’s what they need.
“Emery wants a stronger option who can nail down his place in the side.
“He wants more firepower on that side as well, because their left-hand side is very strong with the likes of Malen, Rashford and others.
“Adding quality and balance on the right will make them even more lethal.
“So it’s definitlely a deal which makes sense for Villa and I think it’s one they’re going to work on.”
Unai Emery leads early recruitment drive at Villa Park
Alongside the potential addition of Torres, Emery and his staff have already started work on improving other areas of his squad in the summer market.
Marcus Rashford joined on loan from Man United in the mid-season window and has hit the ground running at Villa Park, quickly getting back to his best level.
As a result, Brown told Football Insider that Aston Villa are planning to sign Rashford permanently rather than letting him go at the end of his loan spell.
He explained that the winger will have to keep up his performances to convince Emery of his permanent arrival, but plans are being put in place for that eventuality.
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