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Aston Villa update on €60m Diego Carlos REPLACEMENT as DEAL SEALED
Aston Villa are making positive progress in the January transfer market, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that Unai Emery’s side are making moves on two fronts.
Unai Emery’s side have struggled to hit the heights they attained last season as they charged into the top four of the Premier League, but lying seventh going into the weekend just three points off Newcastle in that coveted Champions League spot, the Birmingham club are working to ensure a quick return to Europe’s top competition.
Donyell Malen has already been signed from Borussia Dortmund for €25 million and two more players could arrive quickly at Villa Park, according to football transfer news reporter Romano.
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Emery confirmed on Friday that Aston Villa are in talks to sell Diego Carlos this month, with the defender set to complete a move to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
The Spanish coach did, however, offer a guarantee in return.
“I know they are more or less in conversation about the possibility to leave but I don't know if it will happen,” he told the media, before adding: “In case someone is leaving we will have to sign another player to replace him.”
Aston Villa will land a Bade bargain
Romano has revealed that the Villans are now stepping up their attempts to find a replacement, with Sevilla centre-back Loic Bade, who has a €60m release clause in his contract with the LaLiga side, set to be that man.
“Aston Villa are prepared to advance on Loïc Badé deal as top target with Diego Carlos leaving, plan confirmed,” Romano said.
Villa are unlikely to pay anything like that figure, with the 24-year-old Frenchman liable to leave for something like €24m due to Sevilla’s financial problems, which will force them into a sale.
Bade, who has also been linked with Newcastle and Liverpool, has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €27.5m, so the Birmingham club are in line for a bargain.
TBR Football claims that Fiyako Tomori is also a target for Villa, though if this transfer is completed, a deal for the former Chelsea youth seems highly unlikely.
Andres Garcia deal done
Romano has also announced that Villa will announce the signing of Levante right-back Andres Garcia.
He tweeted: “Villa now consider deal sealed for Andres Garcia for €7m from Levante, all done and also medical booked.”
Reports in Birmingham indicate that Garcia is set to arrive in the country on Saturday to complete these tests.
While Bade will go straight into Emery’s first-team thinking to compete with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa in the starting XI, Garcia is very much seen as a player for the future.