Aston Villa defender Pau Torres has admitted that their failure to qualify for the Champions League this season will mean a change of plans for the club this summer.
The 28-year-old has been speaking to AS about various topics, including the current situation at Aston Villa and a potential return to Spain in future.
This summer could be a tricky one for the Villans after a couple of years of big spending to get into the Champions League.
They achieved that under Unai Emery but missed out narrowly on the final day, with a defeat to Manchester United ensuring they finished sixth, level on points with Newcastle United in fifth but with a worse goal difference.
That’s meant a change of plans this summer, with a big sale needed to help balance the books and the permanent signing of stars such as Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio either put on ice or abandoned.
Alternate plans are being worked on by Emery and director of football Monchi, and Torres admits they’re all aware for a need to change course.
“Absolutely,” he said when asked if failure to qualify for the Champions League can affect the composition of the squad.
“Being in the Europa League isn’t the same as being in the Champions League, and it can be difficult for the club to maintain the same plan. Monchi, Damiá Vidagany, and Unai have to make adjustments to put together a competitive starting eleven and bench.”
While there may be at least one big sale for Aston Villa this summer, Torres is unlikely to be one of them.
He’s very much a key player under Unai Emery and has been since a €33m move from Villarreal in 2023.
He insists he’s more than happy at Aston Villa too but won’t rule out a return to Spain at some point in the future.
“At 28, I’m still young and have time for it,” he added.
“I’m happy at Aston Villa and am motivated by the challenges ahead, but returning to my home country is something that excites me for the future, of course.”
