Aston Villa's January transfer priority clear after £20m summer frustration
by John Townley, https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/authors/john-townley/ · Birmingham LiveWhen the January transfer window opens in two weeks' time, Aston Villa's priority must be to improve Unai Emery's options in defence.
Monchi tried to recruit a new defender at the end of August, before the end of the summer window, but the club's tight budget meant the signing of Lutsharel Geertruida was beyond them. The Dutch international wanted the move to Villa from Feyenoord but had to settle for a switch to German side RB Leipzig instead in a deal worth a total of €25m.
Villa were unable to recruit Geertruida because the deal relied on Diego Carlos finding a new club too, but a move never materialised for the Brazilian, who will enter the final 12 months of his contract at the end of this season. If Carlos had departed, then Villa would have freed up money in wages and also a place in the squad for one more arrival.
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Villa are currently three points off fourth place in the Premier League and also inside the top eight qualifying places of the Champions League's opening phase. However, they've shipped too many goals so far this season, the joint-most among clubs in the top half of the table. The 26 goals they've conceded is also more than three sides in the bottom half.
Before Villa's win over Man City, they conceded five more goals than they should have done after posting an expected goals conceded value of 19.5. Only struggling Wolves (40 goals conceded, 27.6 xGA) have a worse such record this campaign (-12.4).
Villa defended well against City and lost their clean sheet late on when Lucas Digne failed to clear the danger in the box, but before Saturday's victory over the champions, they looked vulnerable at the back and the stats back it up - so they must improve their rearguard. When Tyrone Mings made his first league appearance in more than a year after suffering an ACL injury, Villa ended their eight-match winless run by beating Brentford.
He was Villa's man of the match that night and was due to start against Nottingham Forest last time out before he withdrew through illness. He and Pau Torres are either fighting for one position, or they could play as part of a back three with Ezri Konsa. But if Villa can find a buyer for Carlos in January, then he will need replacing.