'Unai Emery speaking to contacts about Aston Villa completing Ferran Torres deal'

Unai Emery and Monchi have been speaking to contacts in Spain about a deal to bring Barcelona's Ferran Torres to Aston Villa, according to their former scout.

Mick Brown, who also worked as the chief scout at Man United and Sunderland and remains very well-connected at his former clubs, exclusively told Football Insider that Emery is a "huge" admirer of the 25-year-old and is working to finally bring him to Villa.

There is a growing belief that the former Man City forward could be tempted to return to the Premier League as he is now on the fringes of the Barcelona squad.

Torres has been a long-term target for the Midland club, as Football Insider first reported Villa wanted to back Emery by signing Torres in May 2023.

Now, they are set to renew their interest as Emery looks to strengthen on the right-hand side amid concerns about his current options in that position.

The deal has been compared to their signing of Marco Asensio in January, when Brown told Football Insider that Emery was working to sign Asensio from his former club.

Unai Emery leads Aston Villa interest in Ferran Torres

Brown told Football Insider in February that Aston Villa are plotting to sign Torres in the summer transfer window with Emery the driving force behind the interest.

Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has explained that Villa are prepared to step up their interest in the coming weeks.

"Emery and Monchi know the Spanish market well," he told Football Insider.

"They'll be speaking to their contacts over there to assess what it would take to do a deal.

"Torres hasn't nailed down his position at Barcelona, so if they're going to offer him regular playing time, that might tempt him to make the move.

"Emery is a huge fan of his and has tried to sign him a number of times now.

"While he's on the fringes of the Barcelona squad, it might be a good time for them to make a move.

"A new right-winger is on their list of priorities, and he certainly fits the bill there.

"So I think this could be one to watch in the next few weeks."

Marco Asensio update emerges as Villa decision made

While speculation continues about possible new additions to the squad, decisions are also being made about last season's loan stars and their futures.

Brown told Football Insider on 7 July that Villa are unlikely to sign Asensio from PSG and have pulled the plug on a potential permanent deal.

The Spaniard’s wage demands are believed to be prohibitive for Villa, while a number of European clubs are also preparing to step up their interest.

This comes after Brown told Football Insider that Asensio "will return to PSG" after concerns were raised about his fitness levels and longevity.

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