Alan Hutton: Aston Villa need reinforcements defensively before deadline
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Aston Villa have less than 48 hours to make their final signings of the summer and Alan Hutton thinks they need at least one more.
The Villans have seen their headline defensive recruit of the summer, Diego Carlos, suffer a long-term injury that leaves them back at square one at the heart of the team.
Steven Gerrard has had to fall back on last season's pairing of Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings with Calum Chambers also playing in the back four.
Kortney Hause, another centre-half option, has left to join Watford on loan in the Championship to leave just the three options and Hutton wants to see his former side bring in another body before the deadline strikes at 11pm on 1 September.
"Obviously with what happened to Carlos it isn't ideal because I think he was meant to be the rock at the back," Hutton said exclusively to Villa News. "It's not quite worked out that way and he's had to revert back to Mings and Konsa.
"I thought defensively against Crystal Palace they looked really shaky. Every ball over the top was a worry even though I did feel that Tyrone Mings defended relatively well since he came back in.
"I do think we need reinforcements in that area and it is obviously an issue that Steven Gerrard has marked out for this team because they need to be more defensively solid if they want to achieve their goals this season."
Villa travel to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Wednesday (31 August) hoping to put back-to-back defeats behind them in the capital.