Aston Villa join Newcastle in race for Sevilla defender Diego Carlos; two hurdles could scupper deal

Aston Villa have joined Newcastle United in the race for talented Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos, according to a report.

Carlos has been linked with a move to Eddie Howe’s side since the January transfer window. The 29-year-old defender has been an integral part of the Sevilla defence for the last three years, making 34 league appearances in the 2021/22 campaign. Now, Villa have joined Newcastle in monitoring the transfer situation surrounding the player.

According to The Athletic, Villa are considering making a move for Carlos once the transfer window is officially open.

Steven Gerrard has already made an impressive start to his summer business, securing the signings of Philippe Coutinho and Marseille star Boubacar Kamara.

And the addition of Carlos would further encourage supporters that Villa are pushing for a top-half finish next season.

Villa finished 14th last campaign, and also failed to win any of their last four games.

However, the signing of Carlos is far from being complete. Not only are Newcastle rivaling Villa for the player, but there are also other complications to consider.

Indeed, the report states Villa have two significant hurdles to overcome before they can seal a deal.

The Brazilian defender is rated highly within Spain – and his services will not come cheap.

On top of his salary, the overall cost of securing Carlos may prove to be out of Villa’s budget.

Competing head-to-head with Newcastle will only make this more difficult. The Magpies are looking to spend big this summer following the Saudi-based takeover at the end of last year.

Diego Carlos the answer to Aston Villa’s defence?

Sevilla are also hopeful they can keep hold of Carlos, with his defensive partner Jules Kounde propped for a move away.

Kounde has been made a top target by Chelsea after the Todd Boehly takeover was given the green light.

Kounde is also a target for Spanish rivals Barcelona, meaning Sevilla will be desperate to not sell both defenders.

It’s hard to dispute with the defensive stats of Carlos. Playing alongside Kounde, the duo have helped Sevilla achieve the best defensive record in La Liga last season.

Having conceded just 30 goals in 38 games, Sevilla’s defence led them to a top-four finish in La Liga.

Aston Villa on the other hand struggled defensively throughout the season.

In what was a stop-start campaign for the West Midlands side, their defence suffered a similar fate.

On the back of two clean sheets against Leicester City and Norwich City, Villa went on to concede in all five of their final league games.

So with an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder already secured, it would make sense for Villa to turn their focus to defence for their next summer signing.

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