Barcelona ace 'wanted by Aston Villa' as Unai Emery's side 'line up £43m transfer swoop'

Aston Villa are reportedly planning to submit a €50m (£43m) offer for Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres.

The 25-year-old was a key contributor for Barcelona during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 19 times and registering seven assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, including 10 goals and six assists in 27 La Liga outings.

Torres made the move to Barcelona from Manchester City in January 2022, and he has represented the Catalan giants on 158 occasions in all competitions, scoring 44 goals and registering 20 assists in the process.

There is currently a host of speculation surrounding Torres's future, with Arsenal and Manchester United both believed to be admirers of the former Man City forward.

According to Fichajes, Villa are also extremely keen, with Unai Emery's side currently preparing to launch a €50m (£43m) offer for the Spain international.

Villa 'planning £43m bid' for Barcelona forward Torres

The report claims that Villa also made an attempt to sign Torres during last summer's transfer window, but the club were not prepared to pay more than €20m (£17m) for his services at that stage.

Torres is believed to be determined to remain at Barcelona, but he is aware that his chances of regular starts will diminish next season once the Catalan giants bring in another forward.

Hansi Flick's side failed with a move for Nico Williams, with the Spain international signing a new contract at Athletic Bilbao, but Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Liverpool's Luis Diaz remain firm targets.

Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal are also ahead of Torres when it comes to the spots in the final third of the field, so it may be difficult for the latter to secure regular minutes next term.

How did Torres perform at Man City?

Torres is familiar with English football, having made the move to Man City from Valencia in 2022, and he represented the Premier League team on 43 occasions, scoring 16 goals and registering four assists.

The forward netted four times in seven Champions League appearances for the Citizens, while he struck nine times and registered three assists in 28 appearances in the Premier League.

At €50m (£43m), Torres would be a real bargain considering his quality, but Villa's lack of Champions League football for the 2025-26 campaign could count against them when it comes to the race for his signature.

Written by
Matt Law