Emery may have cost Aston Villa £25 million. Upgrade for Diego Carlos
Unai Emery may have increased his defensive options by making this signing.
Despite the acquisition of Clement Lenglet, Aston Villa have been left devoid of defensive options.
A large Premier League club could have signed one option for £25 million.
They eventually relocated to Saudi Arabia during the summer season.
Aston Villa had a good summer of business ahead of the much anticipated 2023/24 season, but the Villans are still missing several key players four games in.
Unai Emery and Monchi added five new players to the Villa Park squad, including the record-breaking signing of Moussa Diaby for £51.9 million.
While the commercial side has been successful, the market progression has been hampered by a lack of players due to early injury, with both Tyrone and Dublin suffering from this.
The list of absentees was expanded after only 19 minutes at Anfield last Saturday, when Diego Carlos was taken off with pain, adding to the defensive strains.
This summer, who did Aston Villa want to sign?
While Pau Torres and Clement Lenglet arrived in the Midlands during the transfer window, two injuries in central defense have left Emery short on depth and rotation.
Aymeric Laporte, who was reported in the Mirror last month as being of interest to the Villans, was one name linked to Villa Park during the summer window.
Despite the allegations, the Spaniard left Manchester City to join Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia in a deal valued only £25 million.
Looking back, the prospective arrival of Laporte may have prepared the door for more strength and quality in the back line, which is urgently needed given the double injury blow.
In addition to depth, the five-time Premier League winner could have brought a new level of player to Emery’s side, with abilities much exceeding those of Carlos, who has missed the majority of his Villa career due to injuries.
Recovering from a devastating Achilles tear in August 2022 was exceedingly difficult for both the defender and the club, making his exit last weekend all the more concerning given his track record.
While Carlos’ injury issues are beyond his control, the reality remains that the Brazilian is a less reliable figure in defense, making Laporte’s lack of movement irritating in retrospect.
Recovering from a devastating Achilles tear in August 2022 was exceedingly difficult for both the defender and the club, making his exit last weekend all the more concerning given his track record.
While Carlos’ injury issues are beyond his control, the reality remains that the Brazilian is a less reliable figure in defense, making Laporte’s lack of movement irritating in retrospect.
Going the extra mile for Laporte may have been a pivotal move by Emery and Monchi, but it wasn’t meant to be, leaving the Villans with selection options to make in the future with absentees in mind.
