Aston Villa have secured the signing of talented English teenager Rico Richards and are in the closing stages of the signing of Spanish defender Pau Torres, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Villa secured qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League in their first season under Unai Emery and are keen to build on that success in the 2023-24 season. They are looking to spend wisely and add quality to their squad this summer.

Aston Villa have announced the signing of 19-year-old attacking midfielder Richards from West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer after his contract expired at the Hawthorns. The talented youngster featured once in the Championship last season, with most of his matches coming in PL2.

The club is also set to announce the signing of Torres from Villarreal after completing the signing of all documents regarding his transfer, according to Romano.

Aston Villa make Pau Torres first big-money summer signing 

Aston Villa have signed Youri Tielemans and Richards as free agents this summer, but have spent around £35m to sign Torres from Villarreal, their first signing of the summer that came with a transfer fee.

Torres will be a quality addition to the team after his experience playing in the Spanish La Liga with boyhood club Villarreal. The Spaniard has also featured regularly for the national team, appearing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and Euro 2020.

Emery will relish working with Torres once more at Villa Park after their success together in Spain. The manager is familiar with the 26-year-old and will be keen to see how well he competes against Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos for a starting berth in the 2023-24 season, and how quickly he adapts to the Premier League.