Aston Villa is set to secure the signing of Pau Torres, the talented center-back from Villarreal, early next week. The Spanish international gained recognition under Unai Emery and attracted the attention of several top clubs following Villarreal’s triumph in the Europa League in 2021.
Previously, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a move for Torres, whose contract with Villarreal is set to expire in 12 months. Consequently, Villarreal has accepted the likelihood of losing Torres this summer. According to the Daily Mail, the center-back’s move to Villa Park is nearly finalized.
The report suggests that Aston Villa will pay £33 million to secure Torres’ services, and the signing is expected to be officially announced on either Monday or Tuesday. Torres will be reunited with his former Villarreal head coach at Aston Villa.
Throughout his career, Torres has displayed impressive performances, contributing 12 goals and five assists in 173 appearances for Villarreal across all competitions. His impending arrival at Villa will mark the club’s second signing of the summer, following the acquisition of Youri Tielemans.
Shifting our focus to Villarreal’s potential departures, AC Milan is making efforts to secure the signing of Nigerian attacker Samuel Chukwueze. Similar to Torres, Chukwueze could also leave on a free transfer at the end of the upcoming season and has expressed his desire to pursue new opportunities to advance his career.
While Arsenal, Liverpool, and Real Madrid have been linked with Chukwueze, none of these clubs are seen as realistic destinations for the winger this summer. The Athletic reports that AC Milan has submitted an offer of €25 million (£21.3 million) for Chukwueze, as they aim to secure his signature. Villarreal is willing to let him go for the right price due to his contractual situation.
It is further stated that Chukwueze has already agreed to personal terms with AC Milan, who are also looking to strike a deal with Chelsea for American winger Christian Pulisic.
Chukwueze has made notable contributions for Villarreal, registering 13 goals and 11 assists in 50 games during the 2022-23 campaign. Since joining the club in 2017, he has accumulated a total of 37 goals and 31 assists in 207 appearances.
Meanwhile, Fulham is reportedly intensifying their efforts to retain Willian, following the Brazilian’s unexpected revival in the Premier League during the 2022-23 season. Willian had struggled to make an impact at Arsenal and returned to his childhood club, Corinthians, in Brazil in 2021. However, he spent just one year there before joining Fulham upon Marco Silva’s request.
Signing a one-year deal with Fulham, Willian experienced a significant upturn in form last season, contributing five goals and six assists in 27 Premier League games, which helped Fulham secure a top-half finish.
Having officially become a free agent at the end of June after the expiration of his contract, Willian has reportedly turned down one offer of an extension. Nevertheless, iG Esporte reports that Fulham has presented a new and improved offer to persuade him to stay. Silva, in particular, is determined to retain the services of the attacker.
Willian is expected to take a few more days to make a decision, but his preference is to remain in the Premier League amid interest from other top-flight clubs.
Lastly, Wolverhampton Wanderers is said to be planning to offer defender Max Kilman a new contract in order to fend off interest from Napoli. The Serie A champions have identified Kilman as an ideal replacement for South Korean international Kim Min-jae, who is on the verge of joining Bayern Munich.
Although Napoli’s initial £30 million bid for Kilman was rejected, Wolves are protected by his existing contract, which runs until the end of the 2025-26 season, with the option for an additional year. Nonetheless, the Express and Star report that Wolves has presented Kilman with an improved contract in hopes of dissuading Napoli from pursuing him further.
Regardless of Napoli’s next move, Kilman is reportedly content at Wolves, where he has scored one goal and provided two assists in 107 appearances since joining from Maidenhead United on a free transfer in 2018.
During this summer transfer window, Wolves has already seen the departure of two center-backs, with Nathan Collins joining Brentford in a record-breaking deal and Conor Coady leaving for Leicester City.