Diego Carlos linked with departure

According to the Telegraph, Diego Carlos is expected to leave Aston Villa this summer with Fulham and West Ham monitoring the defender.

The newspaper reports that Fulham are the current front runners for the Brazillian’s signature but the Hammers could make a move as they continue to try and strengthen their defence. New West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has made no secret since his appointment about improving their defence with the signing of Max Kilman earlier this campaign.

Carlos played under Lopetegui for Sevilla between 2019-2022 in La Liga.

It has been well-documented all summer that Villa would listen to offers for the 31-year-old with a few rumours last week that Sevilla could also be interested in his signature.

Diego’s time at Villa

Carlos signed for Aston Villa in 2022 for a reported fee of around £26 million. During his home debut at Villa Park, he ruptured his Achilles tendon ruling him out of action for the remainder of the campaign.

Last season he made 38 appearances (27 in the Premier League) but was never considered a first-choice option with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa being preferred.

The defender will be best remembered for his hard-man persona and his two-man-of-the-match performances in the two wins over Premier League runners-up Arsenal.

Diego Carlos has also been left out of the last two pre-season friendly matches including last night’s 3-2 win over Athletico Bilbao at the Bescott Stadium.