Aston Villa's 'interest' in Tottenham star revealed by transfer expert

Aston Villa are looking for a new centre-back this summer and would have liked to have signed Jan Paul van Hecke before he went to Tottenham.

That is according to former senior Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

The 26-year-old had just one year remaining on his contract at Brighton going into this summer, and was quickly snapped up in a £52million deal by the Lilywhites.

Villa's financial constraints against the profit and sustainability rules may have stopped them from lodging a bid of their own, but a centre-back is clearly under discussion at Villa Park.

It has been a dramatic week for the Villans, who have lost Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans from their midfield due to injury and transfer, while Lucas Digne is also set to leave upon his return from the World Cup.

Johan Manzambi is expected to join from Freiburg, but the summer transfer window is rapidly becoming a tall task for Villa.

Aston Villa turn attention to defender deal

While much of the focus is now on Villa's midfield, their defence is quietly in need of reinforcement.

Digne's exit will almost certainly require a new arrival, and of their four senior centre-backs, none are under the age of 28 and none are contracted past 2028.

Tyrone Mings and Victor Lindelof both have just one year left on their deals, while Ezri Konsa has attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal.

"I heard that they were interested in the boy who went to Tottenham [Van Hecke] anyway but they've lost out on that one," King told Football Insider.

"I would certainly say that Mings' days at Villa have certainly come to an end. I would say that, without any doubt, a central defender would be a good addition to their squad."

Villa's Morgan Rogers stance faces further pressure

Villa have been insistent that they will not part ways with Morgan Rogers this summer for anything less than a fee in the region of £120m.

However, the exits and injuries and priorities in the squad will make that stance hard to maintain.

A sale would massively help Villa in their struggle against the financial restrictions, and the sale of Rogers may well be a willing sacrifice.

Should the asking price drop, several clubs, including Arsenal, will be throwing their hat into the ring.