Fabrizio Romano has recently claimed he believes Aston Villa will bring in two players before the end of the transfer window – a centre-back and a creative forward player.
The Villans’ transfer business looked to be done after securing deals for the likes of Diego Carlos and Philippe Coutinho, however, due to an injury to Carlos and their disappointing start to the 2022/23 Premier League season, it looks like they could be dipping back into the market.
Manager Steven Gerrard stated his intent to improve their defence this summer, and now that Carlos is out due to an Achilles injury, they will otherwise have to rely on long-term squad members Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, who recently partnered at the back in their 3-1 loss at Crystal Palace.
Romano believes they are still exploring the market and have been offered a number of defenders, but they are instead operating under the radar and will only swoop once they find someone they like.
He told the Que Golazo podcast: “They are still exploring the market, [there] is not something close, but we know how Aston Villa work. It was the same with Ismaila Sarr – they are really under the radar and then they jump into the right deal.
“So, for sure, as Steven Gerrard mentioned yesterday [Tuesday], they will go for a centre-back, they’re looking to include also some creativity to the squad. And so, I think two signings before the end of the window is what Aston Villa want to do.
“Still nothing advanced or close, but they want a centre-back, they’re exploring the market. Many centre-backs have been offered to Aston Villa, so let’s see what they will decide.”
TIF Thoughts on Romano’s comments…
Heading into the season, Villa looked to have strengthened and were primed to challenge for a top-half finish after falling to 14th at the end of last season. However, now they have lost their big-money defender and have struggled to find consistent form so far, it is not surprising Gerrard and co are looking at signings once again.
While there are not many rumours surrounding the club at centre-back, a recent link has come from Polish football reporter, Tomas Wlodarczyk, who claimed the club are closing in on a move for £15m-rated Southampton defender Jan Bednarek.
Picking up a new centre-back should be essential for Gerrard, as their current crop of defenders have shown they are not good enough for a team that have aspirations of the top 10 or an outside shot at Europe.
We believe bringing in a Carlos replacement is the priority as they still have the likes of Emi Buendia, Coutinho and Leon Bailey to carry the weight of attack, but they cannot rely on their defence at present.
Should Villa pick up two more players?Yes
No
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