Pau Torres Praises Rodri Signing and Predicts Lamine Yamal Will Soon Close In on the Ballon d’Or

Aston Villa defender Pau Torres praised Barcelona’s new signing Rodri and said Lamine Yamal deserved the Ballon d’Or this year, speaking to AS before the teams’ Champions League meeting.

Torres described the signing of Rodri, who joined from Manchester City, as a brilliant move, saying Barcelona had beaten Real Madrid to his signature and calling him the best player in his position. He added that he had known Rodri since they played together at Villarreal, and that his humble personality and style had not changed, but that competition during the match would take precedence over friendship.

Yamal finished third in the Ballon d’Or rankings, behind Kylian Mbappé in second place and award winner Harry Kane. Torres acknowledged that Kane had put up remarkable numbers, but said he had hoped a Spanish player would win. He said Yamal could get closer to claiming the award in the coming years if he maintains or improves his level.

Aston Villa and Barcelona meet tomorrow, Tuesday, in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. Torres said he was looking forward to testing himself against Yamal, noting that his movements are difficult to predict and that it sometimes takes more than one player to stop him, and urged his team to be cautious. He also said Real Madrid had been interested in signing him in 2021 before bringing in David Alaba, and felt that Alaba’s experience and free transfer explained the club’s choice.