Aston Villa accelerate transfer priority after Pau Torres injury setback
Aston Villa are reportedly exploring a deal to bring Portuguese defender Antonio Silva to the football club after losing Pau Torres for the foreseeable future to injury. Centre half regular Torres is likely to be sidelined for up to two months after hobbling off with a metatarsal injury in Monday night's 2-2 draw at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.
Villa were looking at their back-line anyway; they've kept just two clean sheets this season, those arriving in the goalless draw at home to Manchester United and the narrow victory over Southampton more recently. That's despite the fact that in Europe they've remarkably found it easier - Villa have secured four shut-outs in their six group games so far.
Torres won't be available to Unai Emery for a couple of months, though, and in that time is expected to miss a good chunk of Villa's season both at home and on the continent. While Villa's battles to keep within the boundaries of PSR are well documented, they are expected to explore deals which are within their parameters.
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It's been mooted abroad that Silva, a client of renowned agent Jorge Mendes, could be an option on a loan to buy deal; Silva, 21, is a Benfica academy product and has played regularly in the first-team for the last couple of years, clocking up over 100 senior appearances despite his tender age in the process - but this year he has lost his place and found minutes harder to come by.
Silva, a full international with 17 caps - ten of which were earned in 2024 - has been likely to leave Lisbon in order to continue playing more regularly elsewhere and, as expected, he has accumulated attention from around the continent. Indeed Mendes spoke only recently in public where he indicated that Juventus were especially keen.
“The Bianconeri want him, and he wants to join them. His current team has the last word," Mendes said. "They’ll have to make a decision. We need to be patient. We’ll see what happens. He’d surely be pleased to move to Turin. The transfer market is still technically closed. He’s a very important player. He has great quality and is being pursued by the most prestigious teams in the world.”
Reports have emerged in Italy, though, that Villa are discussing a move which involves moving initially on loan but with an obligation to buy in the summer for a fee of north of £40m. Villa have Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos in the meantime at the heart of defence, although Konsa had to play at right-back on Monday because of the suspension of Matty Cash.
