Diego Carlos transfer to Aston Villa labelled a ‘bargain’, as more details emerge on Brazilian’s move

The transfer of Diego Carlos to Aston Villa has been called a ‘bargain’ by the Spanish media, with the defender poised to join Steven Gerrard’s team this summer.

On Thursday, Aston Villa announced they had agreed a deal with Sevilla to bring the centre-back to the Premier League. Although both teams kept the fee undisclosed, reports have valued it at £26million.

It represents a transfer coup for Gerrard and Aston Villa. Carlos, a full Brazil international, has previously been on the radars of Tottenham and Newcastle.

Despite them finishing 14th in the recent Premier League campaign, the Villans managed to convince Carlos to join.

It is another signal of intent from Gerrard as he aims to make the squad his own. Ultimately, the West Midlands club want to get back in the top 10 and then into Europe.

Carlos will take their defence to the next level. He is a top-class operator, having made 45 appearances for Sevilla in La Liga and the Champions League this season.

Sevilla pushed Real Madrid for the Spanish league title but fell off in the final few months and couldn’t end their long wait for the trophy.

Spanish newspaper ABC provide an insight into Carlos’ move, as cited by Sport Witness. They label the transfer a ‘bargain’ for Villa given the player’s serious value and release clause.

Diego Carlos has huge release clause – report

Sevilla only had to accept offers worth £63.7m under the terms of Carlos’ contract with them.

Instead, they allowed Villa to capture him for £26m, which is a big decrease. Plus, Sevilla will have to give £2.6m of that to his former club Nantes as they have a 10 per cent sell-on clause.

However, there are a couple of reasons why Sevilla didn’t hold out for the full £63.7m release clause.

Aston Villa have shown their ambition so far

After sealing a deal for Diego Carlos, Aston Villa aren’t showing any signs of slowing down in the transfer market.

Firstly, Carlos may want to prove himself in a different league. Therefore, he might not have given his all for Sevilla next season if he was forced to stay against his wishes.

Plus, the report reveals Sevilla are £34.8m in debt. That weakens their bargaining position and means a sale was essential to help balance the books.

Villa fans can look forward to Carlos strengthening their defence in 2022-23. He will aim to replace Tyrone Mings or Ezri Konsa in Gerrard’s pecking order when the season begins.

Meanwhile, a report claims Villa are preparing to go back in for Gerrard’s former team-mate, Luis Suarez.