Barcelona have been linked with an Aston Villa star.placeholder image
Barcelona have been linked with an Aston Villa star. | Getty Images
Aston Villa will hope to strengthen in January ahead of a potential title challenge
Sensational title calls continue to emerge for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, as the West Midlands side keep up the pace at the top of the Premier League table.
The Villans are just three points behind leaders Arsenal and opened up a ten-point lead over fifth-placed Chelsea with a comeback 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The form of Morgan Rogers has been exemplary in recent months, while Ollie Watkins returned to the goals as the England man struck a double off the bench to win the game for his side.
Villa have often utilised the January transfer market to good effect under Emery, with the likes of Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and more secured in the winter to play a key role in the Villa Park outfit’s series of European charges under the Spaniard.
Rumours that Barcelona are eyeing up a Villa star will have caused concerns, giving the club a decision to make over how best to deal with the scenario in January.
Villa star could be ‘tempted’ by Barcelona move
Barcelona have been linked with a move for Aston Villa defender Pau Torres, and latest reports by Football Insider suggest that the player could be ‘tempted’ by the move to one of the giants of his homeland.
La Blaugrana hold a special pull for players across the world, but particularly those from Spain – and that could be to Villa’s detriment if Barca come calling for the 28-year-old in 2026. Torres is a key player for Emery, and the club will look to avoid losing him if they can.
Ex-Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness told Football Insider: “Well, I don’t think Villa would want to sell him. I think he’s been quite impressive for them from what I’ve seen of him certainly this year. But you know, that attraction of going to Barcelona for a Spanish player is pretty magnetic.
“And I’m sure he and his agent will be very tempted if that’s the case. And if Barcelona can put together a deal that can actually get paid and get approved, which we know has been their problem. But yes, I think it’s going to be a player situation to make that decision. But Unai Emery, of course, will be in his ear.”
Aston Villa could secure Barca swap deal for Torres
Part of the reason for Barcelona’s pursuit of Torres has been uncertainty over the future of Ronald Araujo, who has recently taken time away from playing for personal reasons to leave his long-term future at the club in doubt.
Aston Villa could opt to utilise the situation involving Araujo and secure a straight swap deal between the two central defenders in January. With Torres seeing his current deal run out in 2028, Villa will know that they can extract maximum value for the Spaniard now and could see a deal involving Araujo as worth the investment in order to get a ready-made replacement straight in the door, who was previously linked with the Villans in 2024.
With Spaniard Emery at the helm and a positive atmosphere exuding from Villa Park, the Premier League high-flyers could be the perfect place for Araujo to earn a fresh start and return to his top form, which has seen him become one of the most coveted defenders in world football in the past. The Uruguayan could look to previous situations involving the likes of Rashford as proof that the Villans have a reputation for taking players under their wing and helping them return to their best.
Furthermore, with a potential Premier League title challenge on the horizon and Champions League football forecasted for next season, Villa Park could be the perfect place for the 26-year-old to take the next step in his career, with Torres completing a dream move to Barcelona in the opposite direction.
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