Aston Villa ready to sign ‘top-class’ player in January – Villa scout expert
Aston Villa are planning to sign a top-class centre-back in the January transfer window to bolster their squad, according to the club’s former scout.
Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected at Villa Park and within the game having also worked for the likes of Man United and West Ham, exclusively told Football Insider that concerns have risen about their options in defence.
The return of Tyrone Mings to full fitness, while Ezri Konsa gets over his own injury issues, is set to provide a boost for Unai Emery.
However, concerns about the performances and overall ability of both Pau Torres and Diego Carlos have pushed Villa to consider their options in the transfer market.
Brown went on to explain that, looking at the options the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal have at the back, Villa are looking to bridge the gap to their Premier League rivals.
Emery’s side are looking to strengthen their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League after their performances so far this season, and feel the defence needs to be strengthened.
Aston Villa plan new centre-back signing in January
Brown previously told Football Insider that the recruitment team are working closely with Emery to identify centre-backs after the position became a priority.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after spending over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has now echoed his claims as he insisted that there are concerns about their current options.
“I’ve heard they want to improve in defence,” he told Football Insider.
“We’ve spoken before about the right-back, but there are some concerns about the centre-backs too.
“Pau Torres, for example, is good on the ball but struggles with the pace of the game at times, then you’ve got Diego Carlos who they’re not particularly happy with.
“Mings is coming back to fitness and that’ll be a big boost for them, and the same with Konsa.
“I think they want to sign a top-class centre-back to allow them to compete with the top clubs.
“They’re extreme examples, but look at Van Dijk at Liverpool or Saliba at Arsenal, they’re game-changers at centre-back and you never worry about whether they’ll make a mistake.
“With Villa’s options at the moment, you do get those worrying moments at times.“
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