Surprise PL club win race to sign long-term Manchester United target - reports

Aston Villa have reportedly cleared the two major hurdles in their bid to sign long-term Manchester United target Pau Torres.

According to The Athletic, the Villans have struck an agreement with the Yellow Submarine over an undisclosed fee. A personal agreement between the Premier League club and Torres' camp is already in place.

As per TalkSPORT, the Spanish centre-back has been a long-term transfer target for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. But Aston Villa, led by manager Unai Emery and sporting director Monchi, have seemingly secured the player's services.

The move will see Torres reunite with Emery after the pair worked together at Villarreal. Emery left the Estadio de la Ceramica in October last year and took Aston Villa from fighting for survival in the Premier League to a seventh-placed finish.

They will feature in the play-off rounds of the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. Torres, 26, leaves Villarreal after spending nine years on their books and making 173 appearances across competitions.

The Spaniard's highlight during his time in Spain was the UEFA Europa League triumph in the 2020-21 season, where they beat Manchester United in the final on penalties (1-1 A.E.T).

Torres will compete with Diego Carlos, Tyrone Mings and Ezro Konsa for a place in Emerey's backline.

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Wes Brown showers Manchester United star with praise

Luke Shaw playing as a centre-back several times despite Harry Maguire being on the bench said a lot about Erik ten Hag's lack of trust in Manchester United's captain.

However, it also highlights the Dutchman's immense trust in Shaw and the England international's commendable versatility. In total, the former Southampton left-back played in central defense 11 times for Manchester United last season.

Speaking about Shaw's recent exploits, former Red Devils defender Wes Brown told the club's official website:

"We know him as an excellent left-back but he’s been unbelievable [at centre-back]. As a full-back, you’d probably only play there a few times until the other defenders all come back [from injury].

He added:

"But because Luke has played so well, he’s been, pretty much, the next-choice centre-back. I’m not sure if he played there as a kid, but he just seems to read the game very well. He’s good in the air, his positioning is good and getting better after a few games."

Shaw, 27, still has four years left on his contract at Old Trafford and can be a useful option for Ten Hag at centre-back next season. The Red Devils would, however, hope it doesn't come to that and will want to strengthen their rearguard this summer.

One of their major targets at the back, Kim Min-jae, is set to move to Bayern Munich from Napoli (h/t Fabrizio Romano).