Credit: Imago]

Diego Carlos transfer: Instalment payments agreed for Aston Villa exit

Mon 20 January 2025 7:49, UK

Aston Villa will receive instalments over four years from Fenerbahce as they close in on selling Diego Carlos, according to Yagiz Sabuncuoglu.

The SportsDigitale journalist posted on X (20 January) that the Turkish side will pay roughly £9.3million to sign the defender, having struck a deal with Villa on Saturday [Fotomac, 18 January].

Carlos’ future has looked set to lie away from Villa Park throughout the winter transfer window, and after a swap deal with Sevilla was mooted [VamosMiSevilla, 15 January], his move to Fenerbahce now appears imminent.

Diego Carlos transfer forces Aston Villa into January action

With one of their most experienced defenders seemingly on the way out at any time in the next few days, Villa have exactly two weeks left to bring in reinforcements before the window shuts on 3 February.

While the 31-year-old has rarely been one of the first names on the team sheet amid some error-prone performances in claret and blue, Carlos’ position as the first covering centre-back will need to be filled.

The Lions have hardly been short of players linked with a switch to the Midlands so far this month, not least Loic Bade – the player proposed to be on the other end of the swap deal taking Carlos to Sevilla.

However, with Donyell Malen already through the doors at Bodymoor Heath and tight PSR guidelines to meet following last season’s near miss, Villa are not awash with cash to pluck whoever they want.