Aston Villa exit on the cards for Diego Carlos as transfer update emerges
Aston Villa are set to “listen to offers” for defender Diego Carlos this summer, according to The Telegraph – and they are wise to do so.
The report on 20 May reveals that the club must offset any new signings made in preparation for their participation in the Champions League next season with sales.
And Carlos, 31, is reportedly one of the names on the chopping block, with the prospect of getting his £100k-per-week wages (as per the Telegraph report) off the books an attractive one from a financial perspective.
Should Aston Villa sell Diego Carlos?
Carlos has been a first-team regular for Aston Villa this season – but he has not been indispensible.
The Brazilian has played 2,539 minutes in 38 appearances across all competitions, just the 12th-most in the Aston Villa squad.
And his numbers make for disappointing reading, too. In the Premier League this season, the central defender has won just 44 per cent of his aerial duels and only 45 per cent of his duels overall – both extremely poor figures [FotMob].
His tackle success rate of 59.3 per cent is hardly more encouraging, while his passing accuracy of 88.4 per cent is equally underwhelming for a central defender.
Furthmore, his averages of just 0.65 interceptions and 3.88 recoveries per 90 in the Premier League this term are surprisingly low, ranking in the bottom 20 per cent for both among centre-backs in the division.
At the age of 31, Carlos is not likely to undergo a drastic evolution of quality and, given his contract expires at the end of the 2025/26 season, his value is only likely to fall following this transfer window unless an extension is signed.
While it may seem counter-intuitive to sell a first-team regular such as Carlos ahead of Champions League participation, it may prove to be a shrewd move.
In other Aston Villa news, Jhon Duran deserves more chances next season after his double against Liverpool.
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