Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has revealed the club are in the market to sign a defender this month
Unai Emery has confirmed Aston Villa are actively pursuing a right-sided defender this month as Kosta Nedeljkovic will likely leave on loan, but Diego Carlos could remain at the club after the injury suffered by Pau Torres.
The Spain international is set to miss two months of action after breaking a metatarsal in his right foot in the draw with Brighton last Monday. It leaves Villa with Tyrone Mings as the only left-footed centre-back in Emery’s squad, while Carlos and Ezri Konsa are options for the right-sided centre-back role.
Carlos and Konsa have often started together in the backline, with the latter operating in a full-back role instead of Matty Cash, but Villa’s lack of depth in defence has now been exposed with Carlos set to miss the Premier League clash against Leicester City on Saturday due to a small injury, leaving Mings and Konsa as the only recognised centre-backs available in the squad
Villa tried to sign Lutsharel Geertruida from Feyenoord at the end of the summer window, but a move hinged on Carlos finding a new club. He could once again attract interest in this window, but on Friday Emery batted away suggestions that he would be open to letting the 31-year-old leave, which was the case back last summer.
“For tomorrow he is injured and of course we need a centre-back like him after Pau Torres’ injury,” Emery said about Carlos. “We now have three [centre-backs]. We are working with Lamare Bogarde, his versatility can help us. We have Sil [Swinkels] in the squad as well, but the idea is to let him go on loan and play. Diego Carlos is necessary.”
Asked about whether Villa are planning to recruit a new right-back this month, Emery said: “We have Kosta [Nedeljkovic] and sometimes Bogarde played there.
“With Kosta we have a plan. Firstly it was to do the pre-season, secondly we decided to keep him in the squad for the first part of the season. I think he will need to get minutes, get confidence and feel comfortable playing and here it is difficult for him to get it.
“One option is to let him go on loan. In case he is going on loan, as we planned it in the last weeks, we are as well trying to find something for the right side.”
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