Aston Villa are interested in a new £25 million target who could potentially be a replacement for Diego Carlos, according to a new report.

Since Unai Emery joined the Villans, they have been busy in most transfer windows, and January is unlikely to be much different, as they are already being mentioned with incomings and outgoings.

Unai Emery open to selling £100k-p/w Aston Villa player in January

Unai Emery has been left unimpressed by an Aston Villa player and is open to cashing in on him in the new year.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 18, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news

Villa’s defence seems to be a key issue that they are looking to address in the New Year, as the Premier League side are interested in signing Omar El Hilali from La Liga side Espanyol. The right-back has been catching the eye with his performances in Spain and for his versatility in defence, as he can operate in multiple positions across the backline.

However, Villa are not the only team to clock on to his performances, as Manchester City are also interested in the player, as they see him as someone who could replace Kyle Walker. But while Villa have their eye on an incoming player, January could be the time when they cut their losses with a defender already on their books.

A recent report has stated that Emery is open to selling Diego Carlos in January, despite his heavy involvement in this campaign so far. The Villa boss is said to not be convinced by his role in the team and is ready to sanction his departure sooner rather than later. The Midlands side appear to already have a suitable replacement in mind, as they eye a £25 million defender.

Aston Villa eyeing Joel Ordonez who could replace Diego Carlos

According to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are among the clubs interested in signing defender Joel Ordonez from Club Brugge. The 20-year-old has been with the Belgian side since July 2023, when he joined them from Club NXT.

Ordonez, who can play as a centre-back as well as a right-back, has started 13 of the 14 games he has been available for in all competitions this season, four of which have come in the Champions League.

This report states Ordonez, who is in the 96th percentile for pass competition per 90 minutes for defenders, has impressed with his performances in Belgium and has put himself on the radar of Villa, as well as Liverpool and Newcastle United. All three teams are monitoring the defender ahead of next month’s transfer window, but it doesn’t state when Villa or any of these clubs could make a move in the market.

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It goes on to state that it could cost Villa €30 million, which is roughly £25 million, to get him out of Club Brugge, as they still see him as a key player. However, they are also aware that they may find it difficult to keep him at the club for much longer, so should they receive a fee of this figure, they could be willing to let him leave.