Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Five possible replacement for injured Aston Villa defender Diego Carlos

sportsmole.co.uk, 15 August 2022, 14:15
When Aston Villa fended off competition to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos soon after the end of last season, they were justifiably applauded for being ruthless in pulling off a deal of that magnitude. With the fee said to be in the region of £26m, the club's hierarchy had backed Steven Gerrard in the transfer market with Villa attempting to catapult themselves into the top seven of the Premier League standings.

However, after just two appearances, the Brazilian is expected to spend several months on the sidelines after sustaining a ruptured Achilles towards the end of Saturday's 2-1 victory over Everton. Whether the injury was a consequence of the intense playing conditions over the weekend is irrelevant. Villa are now without arguably their star signing of the summer until the latter winter months at the very earliest, and the 29-year-old's absence will be felt.

Gerrard and the club's transfer team are now left with a predicament. In Tyrone Mings, Calum Chambers, Ezri Konsa and Kortney Hause, Villa have alternatives for the middle of their backline, but the reason that Diego Carlos was signed in the first place was because the aforementioned quartet were deemed not good enough to take Villa to the next level.

Given the financial outlay on Carlos, spending a similar amount of money is simply out of the question, and Villa will have to get creative if they want to acquire the services of a player with the same kind of presence and leadership as their injured summer signing.

With that in mind, Sports Mole takes a look at five realistic alternatives.

Eric Bailly

With seven senior centre-backs on their books, it is inevitable that Manchester United will part ways with at least one of their fringe defenders before the end of August.

Having failed to convince Gerrard in a previous spell at Villa, Axel Tuanzebe is not a realistic option, nor is Phil Jones who has made five first-team outings in over two-and-a-half years. That leaves Eric Bailly, who is only going to reignite his career with first-team football away from Old Trafford.

Like with Jones, there will be doubts over his ability to stay fit, but the Ivory Coast international would be motivated to make a point having spent several years out of favour under different managers.

Naturally, there would have to be some negotiation over a fee and whether any deal would be temporary or permanent, but Bailly feels like the perfect option for Villa given that he possesses a similar profile to that of Diego Carlos.

Nat Phillips

At one stage, it appeared inevitable that Nat Phillips would be departing Liverpool this summer with the Englishman having an array of admirers.

However, Jurgen Klopp hinted last weekend that the knee injury sustained by Ibrahima Konate, which will keep him sidelined "for a while", could lead to Phillips being kept as backup.

Much will depend on how Konate improves over the next couple of weeks, but Gerrard may be prepared to use his Liverpool links to negotiate a deal for the 25-year-old.

Although the likes of Fulham and Bournemouth will remain as options, Phillips would likely give strong consideration to instead moving to the West Midlands if he is given permission to leave Anfield before September 1.

Davinson Sanchez

There was a time when Davinson Sanchez was regarded as first choice in the centre of the Tottenham Hotspur backline, the Colombia international making 181 appearances across five seasons.

However, on the back of the arrival of Clement Lenglet, he is now only regarded as backup to Cristian Romero and Eric Dier for the positions on the right-hand side and centre of Antonio Conte's three-man backline.

In a World Cup year, the 26-year-old is unlikely to want to settle for that role, especially when he could become a key man at a club like Villa.

With Spurs having the option of keeping Japhet Tanganga over Sanchez, there is leeway for Sanchez to be allowed to leave North London, but his current club may insist on any loan arrangement leading to a permanent switch in 2023.

Samuel Umtiti

Injuries and dropping down the pecking order at Barcelona have led to a spectacular fall from grace for Samuel Umtiti, who helped France win the World Cup in 2018.

Barcelona are desperate to part ways with the centre-back as soon as possible, even on a free transfer given their need to reduce their wage bill.

Signing a player plagued by injury concerns and inactivity would not be regarded as ideal by Gerrard, but he will also recognise that Umtiti will be motivated to revive his career.

Officials from both clubs found a way to negotiate the transfer of Phillipe Coutinho in a deal which suited all parties, and there is potential for further conversations to be had over Umtiti, who turns 29 years of age in November.

Abdou Diallo

Out-of-favour players at big clubs is an obvious avenue for Villa to take, and it is why Abdou Diallo may enter their thinking over the coming weeks.

While the 26-year-old featured among the replacements for Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend, the Ligue 1 giants are open to a sale for the right price.

The Senegal international has proven to be a solid squad member at Parc des Princes, making a total of 75 appearances across three seasons, but there is a feeling that a transfer elsewhere would suit all parties.

When you throw into the equation that his younger brother Ibrahima Diallo currently represents Southampton, there is scope for Abdou linking up with a Premier League club in need of a proven central defender before the end of the month.

Top News

17 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The transfer window is open! Clubs around the UK and Europe are getting business done as they look to give themselves the best possible chance at success in the new season. 17 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Romania vs. Ukraine (Monday, 2.00pm) With the waiting finally over, Group E rivals Romania and Ukraine will kick off their Euro 2024 campaigns on Monday afternoon in Munich. 17 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The feature matchup on Wednesday in Major League Soccer will see the Supporters' Shield leaders, Inter Miami, face the reigning MLS Cup champions, the Columbus Crew, at Chase Stadium. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed the club spoke to Thomas Tuchel about the manager's position. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England midfielder Jude Bellingham eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Serbia at Euro 2024. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England midfielder Jude Bellingham eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Serbia at Euro 2024. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly been named as the Premier League club that had a bid rejected for Lille defender Leny Yoro. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jude Bellingham and Marc Guehi were the standout players for England, as the Three Lions opened their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 success over Serbia on Sunday night. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England made the perfect start to their Euro 2024 campaign on Sunday evening, recording a 1-0 victory over Serbia courtesy of a first-half header from Jude Bellingham. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham scored the only goal of the match as England recorded a 1-0 victory over Serbia in their opening fixture of Euro 2024 on Sunday night. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly prepared to offer two players in a bid to sign Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Levi Colwill is reportedly prepared to consider a potential move to Bayern Munich. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly prepared to offer Pep Guardiola a pay rise to extend his contract beyond the end of next season. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Denmark began their Euro 2024 campaign with a frustrating result as Erik Janza netted a 77th-minute equaliser to rescue a point for Slovenia in Stuttgart. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Belgium will be heading into Monday's Euro 2024 fixture against Slovakia having put together a 17-match streak. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo has said that the current Portugal "generation" deserve to win a European Championship. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Raphael Varane and Casemiro were allegedly two Manchester United players to question the approach of head coach Erik ten Hag over the last two seasons at Old Trafford. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in a reunion with Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Valencia have allegedly launched a £25m offer for Mason Greenwood, with the Manchester United forward keen to make a permanent move to Spain during this summer's transfer window. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jack Grealish is reportedly open to discussing a move away from Manchester City during this summer's transfer window after struggling for form during the 2023-24 campaign. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to loan one of their teenage starlets out to Belgium for the 2024-25 season. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wout Weghorst scores a late decisive goal for Netherlands at a major tournament yet again as Oranje record a 2-1 win over Poland at Euro 2024. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Czech Republic suffered a huge blow ahead of Euro 2024 when key midfielder Michal Sadilek was forced to withdraw from the squad due to an injury which he suffered while riding a bike. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo is set to lead the Portugal line in the country's Euro 2024 opener against Czech Republic, with the forward remaining a vital player for his country at the age of 39. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk One of the favourites for this summer's European Championship will take to the field on Tuesday evening, with Portugal opening their Euro 2024 campaign against the Czech Republic at Leipzig Stadium. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly pushing to hijack Real Madrid's proposed move for River Plate starlet Franco Mastantuono. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly received a significant boost in their pursuit of Crystal Palace's Michael Olise, as the Eagles have begun negotiations to sign a possible successor. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk French giants Lille have reportedly rejected an offer from an unnamed Premier League club for the services of 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will headline the Georgia side in the country's first-ever match in the finals of a major tournament on Tuesday evening. 16 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella is expected to name Juventus' 19-year-old attacker Kenan Yildiz in his starting XI for Tuesday's Euro 2024 opener against Georgia.