Aston Villa 'a project that attracted me' - Torres

Pau Torres says joining Aston Villa felt like the "perfect opportunity".

The centre-back signed from Villarreal on Wednesday for an undisclosed fee, reported to be about £31.5m.

Speaking to the club's website, the 26-year-old said: "I'm very happy. I think it's been a decisive step and step forward in my career."

"It's a step that I was ready to take and I'm really happy to arrive at Aston Villa, I think it's a perfect opportunity for me and I want to make the most of it.

"It's a project that, in the last year, has evolved very quickly. When the boss arrived, the team was fighting in a different set of circumstances in the league and they finished by qualifying for Europe.

"I think that was a big step for the club and this shows that they have the ambition to improve year after year, and this year I hope we can position ourselves higher up in the table."

Torres had previously played under Unai Emery for two years at Villarreal, winning the Europa Conference League together in 2021.

"With the boss, we have had conversations in which he explained to me the project that he has here at Aston Villa, a project that attracted me," the Spain international added.

"And we had been speaking about the possibility of me coming and we thought it was the best moment for it to happen. And well, here I am.

"I'm looking forward to starting and I'm looking forward to showing my football ability."