With less than a month of the transfer window left, Aston Villa are preparing to make the final adjustments to their squad ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Unai Emery has already added multiple new faces to the Villa team with the addition of Champions League football being a major attraction.
However, this has not stopped stars from leaving. Both Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby have already departed the club with the possibility of more rising.
One of the most important players from last season was Diego Carlos who was sensational in Villa’s backline.
Despite being injured for the majority of the 2022/23 campaign, he returned to the field in style under Emery.
However, it has been reported that Villa will consider offers for Carlos with a replacement now lined up.
Fulham ‘step up’ interest for Diego Carlos as Joe Gomez is identified as a replacement
Villa’s defence was a big issue in 2024. Despite the side often cruising to a victory, mistakes at the back would cause points to be dropped.
As a result, Emery is looking to reshape his defence. He has already brought in Ian Maatsen, and now he wants to sell Carlos to bring in an England international.
According to the Telegraph, Fulham are stepping in interest in the defender, with Villa open to offers for the 31-year-old. West Ham could also join the race in the coming weeks
As a replacement, the Birmingham outfit have identified Liverpool and England centre-back Joe Gomez.
Aston Villa need to get their defensive situation sorted in the coming weeks
One thing is clear, if Villa’s backline behaviour in the same manner as they did in 2024, they will be found out in the Champions League.
Their defensive fragilities in the latter half of the season caused plenty of concern and stopped the club from winning the Europa Conference League.
While improvements have been made, more are clearly needed. Gomez would be a fantastic addition to the team who has plenty of experience in Europe.
Hopefully, Emery’s vision of how his backline should look with come to fruition in the coming weeks.
